The Marineford War
by XFangHeartX
Summary: My rendition of the Marineford War arc, featuring Blizzard. Warning: rated M for character death in later chapters. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please. SPOILERS! Don't like, then don't read.
1. Marine Headquarters

One Piece: The Marineford War

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

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Summary- Luffy and Blizzard have arrived at the Marine HQ, Marineford, where Ace is due to be executed. There, they find themselves involved in a full scale war between the mighty Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines. With Warlords, Marines, and the three Admirals standing in the way, Luffy's strength and the love for his older brother will be put to the ultimate test, and a race against the clock begins. Will Luffy be able to save Ace in time, or will it all be in vain?

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**Ch. 1- Marine Headquarters**

In the South Blue, the weather is very stormy. People would have to be crazy to sail a ship in this weather…especially on this day.

In a marketplace, people were buying whatever food they could get.

"Well," said a young man, "only three more hours to ago. Where do you think Whitebeard might be? You think that the old man will ever show up?"

"I don't know, and to be honest, I don't give the slightest damn!" an older man snapped. "I haven't heard much about ol' Whitebeard anyway!"

XXX

In the East Blue, it was cloudy, and some shepherds were out herding some sheep.

"Whitebeard's practically a living fossil from an era-gone-by, including that mutt of his," said an old shepherd. "What makes you so sure that he'll beat the Marines at his age?!"

"It doesn't matter who's gonna win or who'll lose," said a man with tattoos on his bald head and smoking a pipe. "I do know this: a lot of people are gonna die in that war. "If Whitebeard's wised up over all these years, then he and Stefan won't show up and let Ace die. I mean, what's the life of one pirate against those of so many, anyway?"

XXX

In the North Blue, it was a snowy, freezing cold day. A couple of men were hoping to get some drinks at a local pub, but upon getting there, they saw it had been closed, as their neighbors had said.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"

"I want my booze, old man!"

"You shut up!" the barkeep snapped at them. "The pub's closed all day, today! Maybe I'll open up tomorrow, that is if there's a still world, tomorrow! Until then, get your booze someplace else!"

"Can't you sell me just one bottle, at least?! I need some booze to get through this thing! Please!"

XXX

In the West Blue, some men were enjoying drinks at a bar that had decided not to close for the day. Apparently, the barkeep didn't believe that the world would be in shambles once Whitebeard attacked. However, others still spoke of him.

"There's no way that old-timer's gonna win against the World Government, now. Look at him, and his dog, too!"

"You're right. Whitebeard and that dog of his should just give up while they're ahead. Let the rest of his crew handle taking care of rescuing Ace!"

"Shut up!"

**KLUMP!** A peg leg stomped into the floor.

"Whitebeard may be old," said the punter, "but don't you dare go underestimating him! If you ask, he's still as strong as ever! Why, it was just one year ago…the moment my crew and I first laid our eyes on that old man and his dog…our lives were as good as over. Whitebeard…is a living demon, and that dog of his…? He was no dog…he was a bloodthirsty beast from Hell."

A pause, but then, everyone broke out into laughter.

"Whitebeard? A demon?!"

"And that mutt of his, a beast from Hell?! Yeah, right! HAHAHAHAHA!"

The old pirate seethed before he took a drink of his grog.

XXX

In the Grand Line, a mother was watching her children play jump rope with their friends. However, she did not take delight in doing so like she used to.

"Listen," the mother told her friend. "Even the children know about the terrible Whitebeard and his dog. Listen to them singing."

"**Whitebeard is humming~!**

**The Devil is coming~!**

**With his beast by his side,**

**They all run and hide,**

**They know that death is coming~!"**

(A/N: I know, not a good rhyme, and it sounds dark, but it's the best I could do.)

The mother sighed. Did her children even realize the morbid things they were singing about? About death, the Devil, and a beast? She closed her eyes, raised her head up to the heavens, and folded her hands in prayer.

"O, heavenly Father," she prayed. "Deliver us."

XXX

On the island of Marineford, where Marine Headquarters is stationed, there is a large town mostly inhabited by the families of Marine personnel. The streets are completely empty, save for one stray cat. The reason: the citizens have been evacuated to the safety of the Sabaody Archipelago. There, they shall bear witness to Ace's execution on monitors. Reporters and photographers have gathered there from hither and yon to report the news to the entire world.

At the Sabaody Archipelago, the evacuated families stood in front of the monitors, watching every event that shall take place, along with news reporters and photographers, when suddenly…

"Look!" a man shouted. "There's Ace, on the scaffold!"

XXX

Outside of Marineford, the Marine surveillance ships have all disappeared in the fog. So far, there has been no sign of Whitebeard, but even so, the entire island holds its breath.

**CHANK! KLANK!** Ace drops to his knees as he is being chained to the scaffold, and the executioners hold their blades in front of him in an X-position. There are only three hours to go until his head rolls.

"Stay alert, men! We have to be ready for anything!"

The owner of the voice is revealed to belong to Vice-Admiral John Giant. As his name implies, he is a giant that towers over regular Marine soldiers by several times in height and has curly brown hair. He wears a red Marine bicorn hat and a variation of the standard Marine coat with yellows colorings, red borders, and medals adorned on the left side. Unlike other high-ranking Marines, like Garp, John wears his coat with his arms in the sleeves. Underneath the coat, he wears an orange shirt, simple loose pants, and boots. Overall, he appears to be a well-decorated Marine. Slung over his shoulder is a katana that fits his size.

"In three hours," John boomed, "it will all be over!"

The Marines roared in agreement.

100,000 elite Marine troops stand ready for battle.

Marine K9 Units 1-10, each holding up to 5 dogs or more, stand at the ready. Leading the first unit is Marine K9 Officer Ken, the younger brother of "White Wolf" Blizzard.

While Ken sits at the bay, patiently, the rest of his troops seemed anxious and frantic. Their handler is trying to his best to calm them down.

"Easy, now, Shiyu," the handler said as he gently pet a Golden Retriever with a blue collar with a Marine dog tag. "Don't be nervous, guys. Everything will be fine. Look at Ken! See how poised he is? If he can be brave, then so can all of you."

Crystal, a female Shepherd dog, looked at Ken, who sits at the ready, waiting for Whitebeard to attack, if he ever does.

Ken has been trained for this day long before he even knew it was coming, and if there was one thing the Husky/wolf-hybrid knew, it was that when you are a Marine, about to face down thousands of pirates, you must show no fear and do whatever it takes to make sure that justice shall prevail.

That was the law of Absolute Justice, which the dog had learned from Admiral Akainu, himself.

Suddenly, Ken's body seemed to twitch, and then, out of nowhere, **KOFF!** A small but audible cough emanated from his mouth, which he covered with his front paw. As he pulled his paw away from his mouth, he saw small specks of red.

Ken's eyes widened, and he sighed, putting his paw down before anyone could see.

_Dammit,_ he thought. _Why now, of all times?_

"_Commanding Officer Ken?"_

Ken turned to look at Crystal, approached him from behind.

"_What's wrong?"_ she asked him in her canine language. _"Is something the matter?"_

"_There's nothing wrong, here,"_ Ken replied. _"Return to your post, rookie."_

"_But sir-"_ Crystal began.

"_Crystal!"_

Crystal turned to look at Shiyu, the Golden Retriever, Ken's second-in-command and best friend.

"_Don't distract the Commander,"_ he said to her. _"We must be on constant alert. The Whitebeard Pirates could attack at any given moment. We, the Marine K9 Unit, as well as all the Marines here, have been trained for this day long before it even arrived. As a rookie, this will be your first real test as a Marine, and if you're successful, you might finally be able to earn your dog tag."_

Crystal looked at her empty collar, and sighed. She had joined the Marine K9's 1st Unit about several months ago, but she had yet to earn the coveted Marine dog tag. As long as she does not have that dangling from her collar, Crystal will still be considered a rookie. Hopefully, today shall be the day that she will finally earn it and walk proudly among her comrades, but let's save that for another time.

Meanwhile, there are 50 battleships surrounding the island of Marineford, as well its crescent moon-shaped bay.

Batteries of heavy cannons line the shore, and on the wall stand five warriors, ready to decided the outcome of the upcoming battle. They are pirates, the five remaining Warlords of the Sea who have answered the summons of the World Government: Dracule Mihawk, Boa Hancock, Gecko Moria, Bartholomew Kuma, and Donquixote Doflamingo. While Mihawk, Kuma, and Doflamingo are dressed in their usual attire, Hancock, on the other hand, is dressed in a purple dress with the mark of the Kuja printed all over, as well as purple high heel pumps, and Moria is wearing a blue cape with beige fur trimmings.

Finally, high atop the execution scaffold in the town plaza, the central figure of this drama, 2nd Unit Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, Portgas D. "Fire Fist" Ace, kneels and quietly awaits his fate. The platform is guarded by the World Government's Ultimate Powerhouses: the three Admirals, Aokiji, Kizaru, and finally, the one in the middle, Admiral Sakazuki, better known by his alias, "Akainu".

Akainu is an incredibly tall man, about as tall as his fellow Admirals, with a broad, square-shaped face, very pronounced facial features and short black hair. He wears a standard Marine cap and sports a crimson double-breasted suit, decorated with what appears to be a pink rose on the top left buttonhole. Unlike many high-ranking Marines, however, Akainu does not appear to wear a tie. Instead, he leaves his light flower-patterned shirt unbuttoned, showing off his muscular neck and part of a light blue tattoo.

These might defenders of justice have come to prevent Ace's rescue and to do battle with the mighty Whitebeard and his pirates.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the Tub Current, a Marine battleship has reached the Gates of Justice. However, its passengers are anything but Marine.

On board is Monkey D. Luffy and his dog, "White Wolf" Blizzard, who have come to rescue Ace from execution, and joining him are Jimbei, Buggy the Clown, and hundreds of other Impel Down escapees.

"Hey, Jimbei! Look!" Luffy called. "The Gates of Justice! We made it!"

_And hopefully, with time to spare,_ Blizzard thought.

"Actually, Luffy," Jimbei said, "it took longer than expected. The wind was against us. Now…how to get through the gate is the question."

**Gulp!** Blizzard swallowed the lump in his throat. That uneasy notch in his stomach had returned, and it felt worse than before.

_Dammit,_ he thought. _Why can't this feeling just leave me alone?_

"All right, then, men!" Buggy called to the prisoners. "We're here! And just what is beyond that gate?!"

"Fortune and glory!" the prisoners cheered.

"You got that right! HAHAHAHAHA!"

XXX

Back at Marineford, two figures are walking to the scaffold.

"Garp…don't try to stop me. I'm going to tell them everything."

"Fine. Do whatever you please. I'll be waiting, down below."

Fleet Admiral Sengoku appears atop the scaffold while Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp stayed behind.

"Stand back," Sengoku ordered the executioner, who stood aside to allow him to stand next to Ace.

"Yes, sir."

Everyone looked up when they saw Sengoku, who was given a Mini Transponder Snail.

"**Attention, everyone,"** Sengoku said. **"I have something to say to you all The execution of this man, Portgas D. 'Fire Fist' Ace, is a matter of enormous importance!"**

Smoker, Tashigi, Momonga, and the Marine K9 1st Unit looked up, wondering what Sengoku meant.

Vice-Admiral Tsuru turned to look at Garp and said, almost sympathetically, "It's not your fault, Garp."

"BWAHAHAHA!" Garp laughed, albeit halfheartedly. "You women sure are kind about this stuff like this, eh, Tsuru?"

"**Ace,"** Sengoku continued. **"What is your father's name?"**

A slight pause came.

"His father's name?"

"What does that have to do with any of this?"

"…my father's name," Ace began, "is Whitebeard."

"**Not true!"** Sengoku bellowed.

"Yes, it is!" Ace shouted. "Whitebeard is my father! My REAL father! There's nobody else!"

"**We were looking everywhere,"** Sengoku continued, ignoring Ace's protests, **"when Cipher Pol gave us intelligence of the possibility that one of his children might be born on a certain island. We examined newborns, even unborn infants and their mothers and found nothing…but that was only natural. Your mother used a trick to hide you. A trick that cost her her very life!"**

Hina, Jango, Fullbody, Coby, and Helmeppo looked up, the latter of the two looking somewhat nervous.

"**We were fooled. The whole world was fooled! Your mother, Ace, lived on the island of Baterilla in the South Blue. Her name was Portgas D. Rouge. She did something we never imagined was possible. She hid her child in her womb for 20 months in order to save it!"**

Ace's eyes went wide.

"**She bought your life, Ace, at the cost of her own. One year and three months before you were born, your father was executed. The blood of the most terrible criminal that the world has ever known…courses through your veins."**

A pause.

"**Don't you start playing dumb, now!"**

_No,_ Ace thought. _No! Don't say it! Please, DON'T SAY IT!_

"**Your father, Ace, was the one and only Gold Roger, the Pirate King!"**

Everyone in the plaza gasped. Even the Marine K9 Units had to gasp at the revelation, for no one except Sengoku, Garp, and Ace himself knew about this.

Portgas, or rather, _Gol_ D. Ace…is the son of Gol D. Roger, the former King of the Pirates, and judging Ace's facial expression, it appeared to be something he did not take pride in.

Garp stood behind, looking down with guilt, and he let his mind wander to the day before Roger's execution.

"_My unborn child is innocent, Garp,"_ the old Vice-Admiral heard the Pirate King's words in his memory. _"I ask you…take care of my son!"_

Garp sighed.

_Forgive me…Roger._

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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That's right, everybody, the most epic (and also sad) arc is about to begin. Stick around for the action...that is until...well...

Review, please.


	2. Whitebeard of the Four Emperors

**Ch. 2- Whitebeard of the Four Emperors**

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

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At the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone is still watching everything on the monitors, and is shocked to hear the news that Sengoku has revealed.

"'Fire Fist' Ace…is Gold Roger's son?!"

"This is big news!" said one of the reporters. "Quick! Notify the head office, at once!"

"We'll print an extra edition, if we have to!"

One of the reporters of the press tried to write down this shocking scoop, but alas, his hands shook, and his notebook fell out of his hands.

"It…it still exists…!" the reporter said. "The bloodline of the great Pirate King!"

XXX

Back at Marineford, even all the Marines that stood ready for battle is also shocked at the revelation.

_Gold Roger's son?_ Ken thought. _How can this be?!_

"So…he's not Luffy's blood brother?" Hancock questioned. "I wonder if Luffy knows."

Ace squinted his shut and had his head lowered.

"Gold Roger's…son?!" the Marines repeated in shock.

The Three Admirals sat in silence.

"So!" Moria exclaimed with a grin. "His son is alive, after all! It's incredible! Everyone who was ever associated with Roger was executed."

Doflamingo chuckled.

"Wait a minute," Coby whispered to Helmeppo. "I thought that Dragon would be his father, too!"

"So did I!" Helmeppo whispered back. "So this means that he and Straw Hat aren't brothers?!"

Meanwhile, Garp's mind was elsewhere. He thought back to the day when he visited Roger in his cell…before his execution.

"_Garp! You won't believe it! I'm gonna be a father! Too bad I'll be a dead man, by the time it's born."_

_Flashback, 24 hours before Roger's execution_

A younger Garp stood before Roger's cell, speaking with the great Pirate King, himself, and with only away until his head rolls.

"Why in the hell are you telling me this, Roger?!" Garp asked him. "You know that I'm with the Marines! We mean to hunt down anyone who was ever associated with the likes of you!"

"And that's exactly the reason I'm telling you this, Garp, old boy," Roger said. "The World Government's gonna try and retrace my footsteps for the past…and when they find her…they'll kill her."

"Her, who?" Garp asked.

"Why, Rouge," Roger answered. "My girl. She's gonna having my child, any day, Garp."

Garp gasped silently.

"But our unborn child is innocent, Garp," said Roger. "I trust you as much as any of my crew!" He gave Roger a familiar wide grin. "So…I'm counting on you."

"Stop talking this nonsense, Roger!" Garp yelled.

"I know you," Roger said. "You'll do it, I know you will. Take care of my kid, Garp!"

_10 months later_

In Baterilla in the South Blue, Marines were running, this way and that way, scouring the town for any pregnant women and newborn infants. Why? It had been rumored that Roger had been here, and that he had fathered a child here.

"Check all the children born up to ten months after Roger's capture!"

"Inspect all the pregnant women, too! Kill anyone who looks suspicious!"

"The era of Gold Roger is over! We have to wipeout his bloodline at any cost!"

What the Marines didn't notice was that a young woman is walking away from all this commotion.

The woman had long, wavy, strawberry-blonde hair with a bright red hibiscus flower to decorate it. Also, her face was dotted with little freckles. She had on a long, flowing, short-sleeved, light blue dress that reached down her feet and sandals. Her most noticeable, however, seemed to be that her stomach was larger than most women's.

At first glance, people might think that she had been eating well. However, if one were to notice her actions, it was revealed that it was anything but.

This woman, one Portgas D. Rouge, was pregnant…for more than nine months.

"No," Rouge told the unborn baby in her belly. "I'm sorry, but you can't come out yet."

This went on for the next ten months, until finally, Rouge could no longer bear the pain of carrying her child. After 20 long months, after the marines gave up their search…her baby was finally born.

Two doctors had come to aid Rouge in her delivery, and, almost surprisingly…Vice-Admiral Garp had come, as well.

Rouge cradled the crying newborn infant in her arms. She sniffled as tears dribbled down her cheeks, and yet she smiled, as well.

"If you were a girl, your name would be Anne…" Rouge said, "but if you are a boy…your name is…Ace. Those were the names that he chose. Your name is….'Gol D. Ace'. Our child…"

Rouge panted as she put a hand on her bloody sheets, and then…she collapsed.

Rouge had kept her baby boy in her womb for such a long time, that giving birth had caused her to become extremely exhausted to the point where she could no longer hold on.

"Rouge? Rouge?! Can you hear me?!"

"Rouge, say something! Hang in there! ROUGE, NO~!"

Garp looked on, worried, as the doctors attempted to revive Rouge, to no avail.

How was such a busy Marine like him supposed to look after a newborn child?

_10 years later_

Garp is walking up a mountain trail into the jungle, and reluctantly following behind him is a 7-year-old Luffy.

"Dadan?!" Luffy repeated.

"That's right, Luffy," Garp answered. "You're living here, from now on."

"But I don't wanna~!" Luffy whined.

**BONK!** Garp struck the boy in the back of the head.

"OW~!" Luffy cried and soon broke into tears.

"Stop that crying, brat!" Garp snapped. "I didn't even hit you that hard!"

Once they had reached the top, they saw a young boy waiting for them.

"Who's he?" asked Luffy.

"He's your new big brother," Garp answered. "You're gonna be living with him, so be nice!"

**SWAK!** He slapped Luffy in the back of his head.

"Ugh!" Luffy groaned and crossed his arms in a pout.

_10 more years later_

Garp sat before Ace's cell in Impel Down.

"It doesn't even matter, Gramps," Ace said. "Unfortunately for me and Luffy, we both carry the blood of two of the world's most infamous criminals in our veins. We couldn't be Marines if we wanted to. I took the surname 'Portgas' from my late mother, whom I owe a great deal to, but I never, ever wanted to carry my ne'er-do-well father's blood, mostly because I have no memory of him and I don't owe him a damn thing."

"I understand, Ace," Garp began, "but you see, he tried-"

"What I'm trying to say is, Gramps," Ace spat, "my Father…my REAL and ONLY Father…has and always will be…Whitebeard."

_Flashback end_

Garp sighed and put his palm over his face.

"**Two years ago,"** Sengoku said, still speaking into the Mini Transponder Snail, **"you took your late mother's family name and began working your way up at amazing strength and speed as captain of the Spade Pirates. That was when we discovered that the bloodline of Gold Roger had not been totally extinguished! But we weren't the only ones who learned the truth. Whitebeard took you, the son of his former rival, aboard his ship so that he could raise you to be the Pirate King!"**

"You're wrong!" Ace retorted. "I joined Pops so I could help HIM become the next King of the Pirates, not the other way around!"

"**You're the only one who believes that,"** Sengoku argued. **"Did you ever stop and think about why we were never able to touch you? Because after all this time, Whitebeard has been protecting!"**

Ace gasped silently.

"**But you had to be stopped, Ace,"** Sengoku said. **"In time, your abilities would eventually allow you to lead a new generation of pirates on a reign of chaos and terror! For that reason alone, your execution today is necessary! You must die, today, EVEN IF IT MEANS ALL-OUT WAR WITH WHITEBEARD~!"**

The Marines raised their weapons and roared.

Just then, another Marine Vice-Admiral appeared.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir!" he said, saluting him. "Important news, sir!"

"What is it?!" Sengoku asked.

"The Gates of Justice!" the Vice-Admiral answered. "They just opened up, on their own!"

"WHAT?!" Sengoku shouted, questioningly. "BUT HOW?!"

XXX

Outside the Gates of Justice, the battleship that carried Luffy and the Impel Down escapees looked on in shock.

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's opening up!"

"But how?!" Jimbei asked.

Just before them, the Gates of Justice are starting to somehow open up by themselves.

_I don't get this!_ Blizzard thought. _I thought that those guys said that they would never open the gates for us, no matter what! What the hell's going on here?!_

"Isn't the control room inside Marineford?"

"If that's true, then who opened it?!"

Then, one of the escapees looked over and saw…Buggy, his arms raised and his eyes closed, and a staff in his hand.

"W-what the-?!"

"C-Captain Buggy?! Did you…?!"

"You opened the Gates of Justice?!"

"YOU DID, BUGGY?!" Luffy asked, eyes sparkling.

_NO, HE DIDN'T, YOU DUMB-ASS!_ Blizzard thought.

"ARE YOU PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR MINDS?!" Mr. 3 shouted.

_Seriously, though,_ Buggy thought. _Who opened the gates? Could it be? Is it the will of Heaven that I become the next Pirate King?!_

XXX

Back in Marineford, the Marines had sounded the alarm.

"Here they come!"

"All hands! Battle stations!"

"No way!" Sengoku said. "They all appeared so suddenly! Where did they come from?!"

Outside of the bay, Sengoku can see a huge fleet…of pirate ships, all with different kinds of figureheads and Jolly Rogers, and some of them belonged to infamous pirate captains of the New World.

"Bohemian Knight" Doma, a man with black curly hair and a beard that seems to have lines that extends to his eyes. He wears a large red headband and a necklace with big light blue square jewels on it. There is a stitched scar on the lower right of his neck, and he sports a large and long light brown coat with a wide dark red collar and cuffs. He also wears a pair of loose blue pants tucked inside a simple pair of boots. Perched on his shoulder with its prehensile tail wrapped around his arm is a monkey.

"Thunder Lord" McGuy, a man with a long face with a big nose and a prominent chin, wavy blonde hair that reaches all the way down to his waist, and a black mustache in the shape of a lightning bolt. He sports a blue cardigan shirt under a black vest. He wears dark Bermuda shorts and an orange sash decorated by a silver colored ornament with a red jewel on it.

"Let's do this thing," said McGuy.

The Decalvan Brothers, two brother that appear to be twins, both wearing overalls. Both have wide faces (though one of them is wider than the other) and flowing black hair. The one with the wider face has sharper teeth. Each brother had one of their eyes which is large and black around the rim, open, and had the other eye which has a scar over it closed; either way, whichever eye they had open and closed are opposite to one another.

They both wear a brown and yellow pirate tricorn hat with polka dots bandanna underneath it. The hat bears their Jolly Roger two skulls and a cross-bone, with a wavy design over it. They both wear yellow long gloves with razor-sharp nails at the end on both hands.

Finally, "Whirl Spider" Squard, a pale, slim man of average height. He has a bald top, but light-pink wavy hair that flows long downwards. He is often seen sticking his tongue out and has sharp teeth.

He wears a spider design on his forehead of which has a spiral at the bottom, with a diagonally-placed headband that attaches to it. He wears a dark grey, long coat with ruffled edges over a similar designed, lighter-colored shirt, and dark pants that almost reach his armpits, with some buckles and strings on the front, tucked inside boots, and with ruffled, lighter-colored edges as well. Around his neck he has a dark red tie. For footwear, he wears high-heeled black boots with loose white cloth coming down from the openings

There are at least 43 pirate ships in all, all of them here to rescue Ace, and all of them here are aligned Whitebeard…who is still nowhere to be found.

Ace looked on in surprise, for at one point after he first set sail…he had actually managed to defeat these people, and yet, here they are, coming to his rescue.

"You guys…you came for me, too?" Ace asked.

The battleships stationed outside the bay faced the pirate ships, prepared to attack.

"Shall we commence the attack?!" asked a Marine officer.

"No, not yet! Whitebeard hasn't shown himself, yet! He's sure to be up to something! Keep your eyes on the surrounding waters!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Doflamingo laughed. "Well, this is getting interesting! Now I'm getting excited, here! Whitebeard! Hurry up and show yourself!"

Suddenly, the Three Admirals raised their heads up. They could've sworn they heard something.

**BLUPBLUP!** The water gurgled. **BLUP! BLUP!**

**WOOF! WOOFWOOF! WOOF!** The dogs started to raise a ruckus, alerting the other Marines. Their handlers' attempts to quiet them down, though, were futile.

"Shh! Shh! Come on, you guys! Calm down!"

"Shut the dogs up!"

"Settle down, all of you!"

**WOOF! WOOFWOOFWOOF! WOOFWOOF!** The dogs continued to bark loudly, as if they were panicking.

"No," Sengoku said. "It can't be!"

**BLUP! BLUP!** The water kept bubbling, and the nervous Marines looked around, trying to find the source, but the dogs' frantic barking wasn't making it easy.

"He's going to try and pull off something outrageous, for sure," Garp said.

"It looks like we could be in the wrong formation," said Tsuru.

Just then, four shadows formed under the water.

"Hey! What are those shadows?!"

"No…you don't think…?!"

_This is it,_ Ken thought as he and his comrades continued barking.

"So that's it!" Sengoku said. "They had coated their ships and went underwater!"

**SPLOOSH!** A giant whale-like pirate ship appeared from the depths of the ocean.

"IT'S THE _MOBY DICK_!"

Yes, the _Moby Dick_, the ship captained by none other than Whitebeard himself, has finally appeared, along with three other large (but not as large) whale-like ships.

"They're inside the bay! Even the 14 Division Leaders!"

"Whitebeard," Sengoku seethed.

**KLAK! KLAK! KLAK!** A familiar walks up the main ship's figurehead, and following behind him is a giant, four-legged beast. It is revealed to be none other than the mighty Whitebeard, himself, and standing beside him is giant white Great Pyrenees dog, Stefan.

"GURARARARARA…how long has it been, Sengoku?" asked Whitebeard. "My beloved had better be all right! GURARARARARA~!"

_**ARROOOOOOOOO~!**_ Stefan howled.

"I'm coming, Ace," said Whitebeard.

"POPS!" Ace shouted.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	3. Ace and Whitebeard

**Ch. 3- Ace and Whitebeard**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

The Impel Down escapees sailed in from the Tub Current through the Gates of Justice.

"Well, we made it through the gate," said Ivankov "Now the question is whether your and Ace's father is here or not."

"Huh?" Luffy asked. "What do you mean, Iva?"

Ivankov knelt down in front of Luffy and whispered, "Dragon won't just sit by and allow them to execute his own son!"

"Oh, Ace isn't my Dad's son," Luffy answered aloud.

"What?" asked Ivankov.

"Ace and I have different dads," Luffy said. "My Dad is Dragon, and Ace's dad was Gold Roger. I never got to meet the guy, but I heard he was awesome! Ace always got mad whenever I talked about him, though. I wonder why."

Three…two…one…

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" everyone yelled in shock.

_WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!_ Blizzard yelled in thought, also shocked.

"Oh, wait. That's supposed to be a secret. Nami always did tell me I'm a loudmouth! Heh-heh-heh!"

_WELL, HOW MANY MORE OUTRAGEOUS FAMILY SECRETS DO YOU HAVE THEN, LUFFY THE LOUDMOUTH?!_ Blizzard yelled in thought.

XXX

Back in Marineford, Whitebeard's fleet has finally appeared in the bay, and the Marines stood in shock.

"I didn't expect them to get so close to the bay, so quickly," Sengoku mused.

**SWUP!** Whitebeard crossed his arms in front of his chest, while the 14 Division Leaders stood, lying in wait.

Whitebeard then flashed a toothy grin, and then **WHAM!** He threw both hands to his sides, punching what seemed to be thin air. **KRAKKRAKKRAK!**

The air…cracked?

It didn't seem possible, but Whitebeard somehow managed to shatter the air around him.

Then, **RRRMMMMMBB!** A tremor suddenly occurs, so big that it caused the entire bay to ripple and shake. **THOOM!** A gigantic explosion appears in the water, and grows, higher until it practically went straight through the Marines' flanks!

No one was harmed, but it did cause alarm for the Marines.

"W-what just happened?!"

"Is that an explosion?!"

"This is bad! Look at how high that wave is rising!"

**THOOM!** Another wave appears on the other side of the bay.

"Oh, no! There's one there, too!"

**WOOF! WOOF! WOOFWOOF!** The dogs barked at the forming tidal wave, ignoring their handlers' attempts to calm them down.

Whitebeard and Stefan flashed toothy grins.

XXX

Back at the Tub Current, **ARF! ARF-ARF! ARF!** Blizzard was barking up a storm due to the sudden tremor, and Luffy was trying his hardest to calm him down, but couldn't.

"What's going on?!" Luffy asked. "I still can't see anything! This fog is way too thick!"

XXX

Back in Marineford, on the execution scaffold, Ace still sat on his knees, letting his mind wander to three years ago.

_Flashback, 3 years ago_

"See ya, Ace! Take care of yourself!"

At Dawn Island in the East Blue, a 14-year-old Luffy was seeing a 17-year old Ace, who was wearing an open-front shirt and standing in a dinghy, off.

"So long, Luffy!" Ace said. "I'll be going on ahead!"

"And I'll see you, three years from now!" Luffy remarked. "Next time you see, I'll be a hell of a lot stronger!"

"We'll see about that," Ace said, jokingly. "Well, I'm off! Take care of yourself, Lu! Try to stay outta trouble!"

"I will!" Luffy said.

And so, Ace sailed off into the sea, beginning a new life of adventure. Almost instantly, his name became known as he had become the captain of the Spade Pirates.

Some were surprised at how far Ace had come, so quickly…

"Whoa! Check this out!" Luffy said, holding up a newspaper. "Ace is famous!"

Others…not so much…

"WHAT?!" Garp roared, holding a newspaper, as well. "THAT BOY BECAME A PIRATE?! OVER MY DEAD BODY!"

Ace and his Spade Pirate crew grew even more infamous with each passing day, and they were certain to gain quite a lot of attention…

"Portgas…?" Sengoku asked, looking at the newspaper. "Who is this boy? Where is he from?"

"No clue, sir," said a Vice-Admiral. "He's a rookie, sir, but he's already acquired the power of a Logia-type Devil Fruit!"

…especially from a certain Emperor.

"GURARARARA…" Whitebeard chortled in his throat as he pet Stefan on the head. "Look at this, Stefan. This boy here sure has some guts. He rejected the World Government's offer to become one of the Seven Warlord. I wonder how hold he is. What's your rush, youngster? GURARARARARA…"

Ace even found the time to make a new friend…

"Ace, you can't be serious about this!" said a Spade Pirate at their ship was moored on the shore of a winter island.

"I have to see him, okay?" Ace asked. "Relax!"

Ace found himself inside the cave of a mountain, standing before a very familiar red-haired captain.

"So," said Shanks as he reached for his saber, "you came to meet me, huh?"

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Ace said, raising his hands in defense. "Hold on. I'm not here to fight. My name is Portgas D. Ace," he bowed his head, formally, "but you can call me Ace."

"And just what do you want, Ace?" asked Shanks.

"I was told that that many years ago, you saved a boy's life," said Ace. "That boy was my little brother, Luffy, and let me tell you, you're all he ever talks about, back at home. I was hoping I'd find you, because I wanted to thank you, personally."

A pause, but then, Shanks grinned and burst into laughter.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing here!" he said. "You're Luffy's big brother?! I didn't even know that he had one! Wow! Hey, any friend or relative of Luffy is a friend of ours! You're more than welcome here! So, tell me all about your adventures!"

Ace smiled and sat down in front of Shanks.

"Hey, Yasopp! Break out the sake! Men, we're getting drunk, tonight!

The crew roared with cheers and partied all night long, and both Ace and Shanks suffered brutal hangovers the morning after.

However…Ace also found the time to make some new enemies…

"Hey, big guy!" Ace said to a younger Jimbei. "Move aside! I came to see Whitebeard!"

"I'm not taking you to see Old Man Whitebeard," said Jimbei. "You look like nothing but trouble. I may not be one of Whitebeard's pirates, but I owe him a debt I may never be able to repay. If you want a fight, boy, then I will be your opponent!"

"Ace, be careful!" cried one of the Spade Pirates. "That's Jimbei, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"

The Spade Pirates tried to convince Ace to forget fighting the Whale Shark Fishman, but Ace refused.

"I never run away from my opponent," he stated.

For four days straight, Ace and Jimbei were locked in vicious combat. On the fifth day, both were seriously wounded and exhausted.

"This is crazy!"

"Ace, just give up while you still can!"

"You and Jimbei will kill each other!"

At that moment, a gigantic ship appeared.

"So, you want to take my head, do you, lad?" asked a familiar voice. "Then have at it!"

The Spade Pirates gasped in shock.

"It's the Whitebeard Pirates! They're here!"

"I'll take you on, boy," said Whitebeard.

Whitebeard came down to meet his challenger, and took out most of the Spade Pirates while doing so. Ace, unable to see his crew get hurt, stood back up and raised his arms.

"Flame FENCE!" he shouted.

**FWOOM!** A huge wall of flames appeared from the ground.

"Captain!"

"Captain Ace! What are you doing?!"

"GET OUTTA HERE!" Ace ordered. "ALL OF YOU, RUN AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN!"

"But….but we can't leave you!"

"GO!" Ace shouted.

As reluctant as they were, the Spade Pirates were forced to flee.

"We'll be back, Captain!"

"We promise!"

"What?" Whitebeard asked. "Don't tell me you're chickening out, now."

"No one said anything about me chickening out," Ace answered. "I'm just giving my men time to escape. Let my men go with their lives…and in exchange…I'll stay here until I die."

"You snot-nosed brat," said Whitebeard with a grin. "You really think that some puny string-bean like you is man enough to beat me?"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ace roared before he lunged in for the attack.

**SHWUK!** Blood sprayed into the air.

It was a long and hard battle, but alas, Ace found himself left weak due to the injuries he had sustained from fighting Jimbei, five days prior.

Whitebeard stood before the defeated Ace, who was down on his knees, exhausted from the fight. He was covered in injuries, but not one scratch was on Whitebeard.

"You're far too valuable to die now, my boy," Whitebeard said. He reached his hand out to Ace, and at first, it seemed like he was about to finish him off, but then, he just held it there. "Come with me, and you can roam the seas as wild and free as you wish under my name! Become my son, Ace!"

Ace gasped in shock and surprise, but then he growled.

Why was this old geezer asking him to become his son? Was he doing it to mock him?

Whatever the case was, Ace only had one answer.

"NO FREAKING WAY~!"

**Thud!** Ace collapsed.

XXX

Several days after Ace's defeat, he found himself on board the _Moby Dick_, and needless to say, he was quite confused. These pirates had taken care of his injures while he was out instead of locking him up in chains.

It was then that he met Thatch, the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' 4th unit.

Thatch was a tall man with a brown pompadour hairstyle, which went to a point at the back of his head, and a black goatee around his chin. He also had a stitched-up scar running down his face, along his left eye, like Garp's. He was dressed in a posh uniform with calf-long pants and a black belt around his waist, as well as a pair of brown shoes.

"Listen," said Thatch. "If you're gonna be sailing with us from now on, let's try and get along then, shall we?"

"Shut up!" Ace snapped. "Go screw yourself!"

Thatch just laughed.

"I see you're not a morning person, Sleeping Beauty!" he joked. "Wanna know what happened to you after you passed out? Your men came back for you, but we kicked their asses, but hey, don't worry about 'em. They're still alive, and they're all here aboard the good ol' _Moby Dick_."

"You sure you just wanna let me walk around this ship without chains on my wrists?" asked Ace.

"Huh?" Thatch muttered, but then he laughed, much to Ace's frustration.

Why were these people treating him like he was an honored guest instead of a prisoner?

During his stay on the ship, Ace had made several attempts at Whitebeard's life.

First, he tried slit Whitebeard's throat in his sleep with a knife, but when Whitebeard awoke at the last second, Ace was sent flying.

Another time, Ace tried to chop Whitebeard's head off with an axe. Unfortunately, Whitebeard sent him flying, once more…into the sea.

"Hey! Ace fell overboard!"

"Well don't anyone just stand there! Get him out!"

Day after day, Ace tried, again and again to kill Whitebeard for at least 100 times, and failed at each attempt. After 100th time, the D carrier had finally decided to just give up.

**KLAK!** Marco handed Ace, who sat against the wall, hiding his face in his arms and hugging his knees to his chest, a bowl of soup.

"Here," said Marco. "Eat up."

"Get that way from me," Ace said. "I'm not hungry."

**GRRRRMMMBLE!**

"Your stomach says otherwise," Marco commented. "Go on and eat already."

"…hey," Ace said. "Marco, right?"

"Yeah," Marco answered.

"…why do you guys…call him 'Pops'?"

Marco smiled.

"It's because he treats us all like we're his kids," he answered him. "We're all just a bunch of strays that he took in, here, so he makes us feel good, whether he really means it or not."

A pause, but then…Ace started quivering, and Marco could hear him trying choke back sobs. He smiled and put a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," Marco said. "I know it's kind of hard to accept, but don't you go and start blubbering on us. If you keep going like you're going, then…well, let's face it. You're not gonna last. Now, I'm gonna give you some choices. You're not gonna be able to kill Pops like this, so either you jump ship and try again another time…or you stay, and take the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates on your back. Your choice."

Ace sat there for a minute, but then, he stood up and wiped his eyes, and then he looked at Marco with a grin.

"I'll do it," he said.

Marco's smile grew wider.

"Welcome aboard."

XXX

A year later, Ace had made himself right at home on the _Moby Dick_ with the Whitebeard Pirates. Stefan, Whitebeard's dog, was especially fond of him, as shown when his master introduced the massive Mastiff dog to him. He's been washing dog slobber off of himself for days, and the smell of dog breath still lingered.

Not only that, but Ace had proven himself as a powerful new member of the crew. He had easily defeated Doma and his gang, thus causing them to align with the Whitebeard Pirates.

As if that wasn't enough Whitebeard decided to promote to captain of the 2nd unit. No one minded, but Ace was surprised at the special treatment he was getting.

At the banquet celebrating his promotion and his victory against the Doma Pirates, Ace wanted to ask anyone if they wanted the position, and who would've thought that he asked Teach, who was munching on a cherry pie.

"So…you don't want the job, Teach?" asked Ace.

"Nope," Teach answered.

"But you've been with Whitebeard the longest, haven't you?"

"ZEHAHAHAHA…it's all right, Ace. I don't have those kinds of ambitions. Go ahead and take the job, commander."

Soon, news of Ace being recruited into the Whitebeard Pirates became known far and wide. It especially piqued the interest of Sengoku and the World Government as to how fast his infamy was growing.

By this time, Ace had decided to reveal to Whitebeard his parentage.

"GURARARARARA!" Whitebeard laughed, holding a flask of sake. "So, that's it. Well, I have to say, Ace, I'm a bit surprised. You don't act a bit like Roger."

"But wasn't he your enemy?" asked Ace. "Now that you I'm his son, aren't you gonna kick me out?"

Stefan whimpered at the though. Son of Roger or not, he didn't want Ace to leave because of that.

"I thought you said you had something important to say to me, Ace!" Whitebeard exclaimed. "This is nothing!"

Ace gasped in surprise.

"But…I thought-" he said.

"I don't give a damn who your father was!" Whitebeard said. "I mean, come on, aren't we pirates all children of the sea? GURARARARARARA~!"

Ace was silent for a moment, but then he smiled and said, "Yeah. We sure are…Pops."

XXX

Two years later…

"Ace, calm down, will you?!"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! HOW CAN YOU JUST STAND BY AND DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS?! THATCH IS **DEAD!**"

Ace was struggling against his own crew. Why?

Thatch had been murdered…by Teach.

"Dammit, Ace!" said one of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Pops said to just let this one go!"

"You can't go after Teach, you hear?!" shouted another pirate.

"LEMME GO, I SAID!" Ace shouted. "TEACH WAS UNDER MY COMMAND! HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT THATCH TO REST IN PEACE IF I DON'T AVENGE HIS MURDER?!"

"Enough, Ace!" Whitebeard ordered. "Look…we're all upset about this, but just let it go, this time. I have a bad feeling about this one."

"HE'S A BLOODY TRAITOR!" Ace snapped. "HE KILLED ONE OF OUR OWN AND THEN TOOK OFF, AND AFTER SERVING YOU FOR DECADES! HE RAN LIKE THE RAT HE IS! **HOW THE HELL CAN YOU POSSIBLY TELL ME TO LET THIS GO?!**" He turned away from Whitebeard, seething. "As long as I live, I will NEVER let anyone drag your name through the mud! I'm gonna set things, ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

"No, wait!" Jozu cried.

"Ace, come back here!" Marco called.

It was too late. Ace was gone.

_Flashback end_

Ace sits on the scaffold with his head lowered.

"Pops…" he called. "Crewmates…I ignored your warning and went off on my own…so why? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE?! I BROUGHT THIS ON MYSELF!"

A pause.

"No, Ace," Whitebeard said. "I sent you on this mission…my son."

"What?!" Ace questioned. "N-no, you didn't! Don't stand there and lie to me! You guys tried to stop me, remember?! I-"

"I ordered him to go," Whitebeard said. "Didn't I…Marco?"

"That's right, Pops," Marco replied.

"N-no!" Ace argued. "Marco, you-"

"I told him to go, didn't I Stefan?" asked Whitebeard.

**ROWF!** Stefan let out a booming bark in reply.

"Sorry you had such a hard time, Ace!" Marco apologized. "But even you, of all people, as well as everyone in these waters know that you when mess with even of the Whitebeard Pirates…you mess with us all."

The Whitebeard Pirates soon burst into cheers.

"Anyone who dares to lay a hand on one of our own has to suffer the consequences!"

"We'll make sure that those responsible will pay for it with their lives, Ace!"

"Just sit there and wait for us! We're coming for you, Ace!"

"Get ready, you Marine bastards!"

Ace chewed his lip.

_You guys…_ he thought.

"Well, well," Aokiji said. "Looks we've brought us some real trouble down on our heads."

"We should've seen this coming," Akainu mused.

"What a pain," Kizaru added.

**RMMMMMMMMBB!** The ground began to shake, once more.

"What's with that rumbling?!" Moria questioned.

"Here it comes," Garp said. "The seaquake that he started earlier. He's the quake-man who ate the Tremor-Tremor Devil Fruit…Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate!"

The Marines gasped.

"Look there! A Tsunami!" shouted one. "It's huge!"

"The fact that we outnumber them still doesn't guarantee our victory!" Sengoku said. "The Whitebeard Pirates could still wipe us out! That man, Whitebeard…has the power to destroy the world, itself!"

Whitebeard gave a toothy grin.

_**ARRROOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Stefan howled loudly.

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, the spectators watched, terrified.

"The battle's starting!" said a young woman.

XXX

At Marineford, the pirates roared as they prepared to go into battle…as a giant tsunami appeared overhead.

"LET'S GO!" the pirates cheer.

The 47 pirate ships from the New World, led by the mighty Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate, begin their assault, and facing them are the greatest force of the World Government: Marine HQ and five of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. No matter who emerges victorious in this epic war, an era will die…and a new one shall be born from its ashes!

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	4. The Paramount War

**Ch. 4- The Paramount War**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

The Marines stared up at the huge tsunami that was about to engulf all of Marineford.

"HOLY CRAAAAAP!" Jango and Fullbody screamed.

**WOOF! WOOF-WOOF! WOOF!** The dogs barked at the incoming wave.

"HAHAHAHA!" Doflamingo cackled. "That's the legendary power of Whitebeard, all right!"

"GURARARARARARA~!" Whitebeard laughed.

**KRAKK!** Aokiji had disappeared from his chair, and the only thing that had been left behind was an icicle.

Looking up, everyone looked up to see the Admiral in question, up in the air, his body half-frozen.

**SWOO~! KRAK! KRAKKRAK!** The chilled air hit the tsunami, and then, **KLANG!** The whole wave turned into ice!

"Ice AGE!" Aokiji cried.

"Aokiji…you bastard," Whitebeard sneered with a grin.

The dogs ceased their barking, no longer seeing any danger, but they were still itching to fight.

Coby and Helmeppo heaved sighs of relief, but were still quite shaken.

"PARTISAN!" Aokiji shouted as he fired spears of ice at Whitebeard.

**BOOM!** Whitebeard's might fist struck the air, once again.

**KRIK! KRAK!** The ice spears shattered, but they weren't the only things. **KRAK!** Aokiji's face cracked, as well.

"Uh-oh," Aokiji said. "Looks like I'm in trouble."

**KREESH!** Aokiji body cracked in half!

"ADMIRAL!" the Marines cried.

As Aokiji began to fall towards the ocean below, **KREK-KREK!** Some of the ice fell to the water, and before anyone realized, the Admiral became whole again, and then **KRINK!** The whole bay froze!

Aokiji stood up, cracking his neck.

"Phew," he said. "That was a close one."

"Dammit!" cursed one of the Whitebeard Pirates. "The bay is frozen solid!"

"Looks like our ships are stuck here!" said another.

"FIRE!" shouted a Marine officer. "DESTROY THE _MOBY DICK_!"

**BOOM! KABOOM!** The Marines opened fire on the _Moby Dick_ with their cannons.

"And NOW they decided to use cannons," commented a pirate.

"Hey, look on the bright side!" added another. "At least we have us a foothold!"

"Come, men!" shouted Vista. "Let's show these Marines what the Whitebeard Pirates can really do!"

The Whitebeard Pirates roared into cheers as the Division Leaders jumped off of the ship and charged into battle, followed by the army of pirates.

"Here come the Division Leaders!"

"Keep firing the cannons!"

"Ha-ha-ha!" one of the pirates laughed. "An ocean made of ice! Brilliant!"

"This battle was getting a bit too hot, anyhow!" added another pirate.

At that moment, the dogs became restless, and they begin to pull on their leashes, trying to get to the incoming pirates.

"Release the K9 Unit!" ordered another Marine.

Soon, the dogs were unleashed, and they charged at the pirates with fangs bared, but the pirates continued their charge, unafraid of the canines. The dogs met their opponents, head-on, chasing them, cornering them, and lashing out at them violently, as if they were a pack of wild animals.

This is what they had been trained to do: use their primal instincts and take down the pirates in a coordinated attack.

**CHOMP!** A Doberman Pinscher with a stitched-up scar on his right foreleg, Kage, the commanding officer of Marine K9 Unit 4, bit down on the calf of one of the pirates. The rest of his troop, a pack of at least 7 dogs soon followed, biting down on his arms, hands, clothes, even his hair.

"AGH!" the pirate screamed. "HELP! HELP! GET THESE MARINE MUTTS OFF ME!"

**THWAK!** One pirate, armed with a spiked-ball mace, hit Kage in the face, causing him to release his comrade.

"Thanks, Brock," said the pirate. "I actually almost thought that I was dog food."

(A/N: No, people. It's not Brock from Pokemon.)

"Don't thank me, yet, Jinnai," Brock replied. "Looks like these mutts are still hungry for more!"

**Grr~!** Kage, his face now bleeding from the attack, and the rest of his troop growled at the two pirates, who stood back-to-back as the dogs surrounded them. However, they showed no fear. They just grinned and held their weapons.

"We're not really gonna lose to a pack of Marine mongrels," said Jinnai, who held up his two sabers.

"No way in hell," Brock added, raising his mace.

The dogs lunged for the attack, but Jinnai and Brock fought back with all their strength.

Meanwhile, Ken was fighting off some pirates, himself. He practically mangled the foot of one of them.

**KOFF! KOFF!** He started to cough up blood, again, and this time, it seemed worse than before.

_Dammit all!_ he thought. _Why now?!_

"_Commanding Officer Ken!"_

Ken turned and saw Shiyu and a Rough Collie running up to him. He quickly licked up the blood around his lips before they could notice it.

"_What's wrong?"_ he asked.

"_Crystal's in trouble, again!"_ Shiyu answered.

"_What?!"_ Ken barked. _"Then what are you two doing here?! Why aren't you helping her?! Oh, never mind!"_

He dashed off into the battlefield, and found Crystal being cornered by one of the Whitebeard Pirates, who held up a saber.

"I've always wanted a stuffed dog," he mused.

Crystal stared up at the pirate with wide eyes, frozen with fear. Just when the pirate was about to bring his saber down on her, **CHOMP!** Ken appeared out of nowhere and bit down on his face, causing him to scream and writhe in pain.

"_T…thank you, sir,"_ Crystal said, gratefully. _"I thought I was going to-"_

"_Why didn't you fight back?!"_ Ken shouted at her, causing her to step back a bit.

"_B-but…but sir,"_ Crystal began, but Ken cut her off once again.

"_You call yourself a Marine,"_ Ken said to her. _"A REAL Marine never runs away from her foe! The next time you face down a pirate, I expect you to stay and fight until the end! Is that understood, rookie?!"_

"_Y…yes, sir,"_ Crystal said.

"_Good,"_ Ken said. _"Now get a grip on yourself and get in gear! We're not fighting your average, run-of-the-mill pirates, here!"_

Crystal nodded before she stood up and ran away.

"_Uh…sir?"_

Ken turned to see Shiyu approaching him.

"_Sir, you know that Crystal is afraid of sabers,"_ Shiyu said. _"She's been that way ever since she was a puppy. Don't you think that you should be a bit more…empathetic?"_

"_Empathetic?"_ Ken repeated. _"Are you kidding me?! This is WAR, Shiyu! There's no room for empathy, here, on the battlefield!"_

"_Maybe not for our enemies,"_ Shiyu began, _"but what about your troop?"_

Ken gave Shiyu an inquisitive look.

"Don't let a bunch of puny puppies stop you!" Whitebeard called. "Go, my children!"

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Stefan howled, again.

"FIRE THE CANNONS!"

**BOOM! BOOM! KABOOM!** The pirates fired their cannons at Marineford, but then, **SHUK! KABOOM!** One of the cannonballs got cut in half and exploded!

"Heh!" laughed one of the pirates. "I figured it wouldn't be that easy! It's Vice-Admirals!"

At the front, it is revealed that the Marine Vice-Admirals (sans Garp) had lined up for battle.

"Ha-ha!" another pirate laughed. "It's not every day you get to see so many Vice-Admirals in one place!"

"This makes the Buster Call look like a cakewalk!" another pirate added.

**BOOM! KABOOM!** The cannons continued to go off, left and right.

"Tsuru," said Vice-Admiral Yamakaji, "you might want to stand back."

"Shut your mouth, Yamakaji," Tsuru said. "No matter where I run…I can't escape from this."

Soon, all the pirates charged into battle.

"Knock them down and head into the bay! We'll save Ace, even if it kills us!"

Ace watched in horror as he watched his crewmates from the platform.

"It has begun," Sengoku said. "The Paramount War."

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BABOOM!** Explosions from cannon-fire went off, once again. Pirates and Marines screamed out, either to make a battle cry or perhaps out of pain from being attacked. Dogs lashed out savagely at their prey.

The Paramount War had officially begun.

As the battle raged on, Mihawk suddenly reaches behind himself and pulls out his sword.

"What's this?" Doflamingo questioned. "What are you doing, Hawkeye? Are you actually going to fight?"

"I'm not," Mihawk answered. "I just want to measure the distance between that man and us."

**SLASH! KROOOM!** With a mighty swing of his legendary sword, Mihawk cut the ground and the icy sea, and the resulting slash had been aimed straight at the _Moby Dick_!

"Look out! It's Hawkeye!"

"Pops! Stefan! Stand clear!"

Whitebeard just grinned, as did Stefan.

Just when it seemed that the slash was going to hit the _Moby Dick_, Whitebeard, and Stefan…

"RAAAAAAAH!" a voice roared, and out of nowhere, Jozu appeared, and **KRANG!** He blocked the slash!

As the dust settled, it is revealed that Jozu's body…had hardened and turned into diamond.

"He blocked it! He blocked the world's most powerful sword slash!"

"Hooray for the leader of the Whitebeard Pirates' 3rd Division! 'Diamond' Jozu!"

**FWASH!** A bright light suddenly appears in the sky.

"Oh, no! It's Kizaru!"

"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!" Kizaru exclaimed.

**ZOW! ZOW! ZAZOW!** He fired many beams of light at Whitebeard and Stefan.

"Hey, now," said Whitebeard, his grin still creasing his lips, "that's a bit too bright, don't you think, Stefan?"

**ROWF!** Stefan barked in agreement.

Just then, **BOOM! BOOM!** Something appeared between Whitebeard and Kizaru's attack, which caused it to explode. It is revealed to be some sort of human…with…flaming wings?

The Marines stared, dumbfounded.

"He deflected the Admiral's attack?!"

"What is that thing?! It looks like a giant blue flame!"

The figure is revealed to be Marco, who had become shrouded in a light blue-and-yellow flame, and Kizaru's attacks just went straight through him.

"It's Marco! The captain of the Whitebeard Pirates 1st Unit!"

"Now, now," Marco said. "You can't take the King so early in the game. You're breaking the rules, already."

"Goodness," Kizaru said. "The Whitebeard Pirates sure are scary, aren't they?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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Sorry that it's short.

Review, please!


	5. Admiral Akainu

**Ch. 5- Admiral Akainu**

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

The Marines stood in shock as they watched Marco block an attack from Kizaru.

"I can't believe he actually took an attack from Admiral Kizaru, and he's still standing!"

"He really is as strong as they say he is!"

"Of course he is," said Kizaru. "He's eaten a Devil Fruit that's far rarer than the Logia and Zoan-type Devil Fruits, combined. He's a Mythical Beast Zoan-type!"

**FWOO!** Marco's face had finally reformed from the flame.

"That kinda hurt," he said with a smirk.

"Liar," Kizaru commented.

**FWOOM!** Marco leapt into the air, and his body began to change. His face grew longer to the point where it looked like he had formed a beak, and his body is now covered in light blue and golden yellows flame-like feathers, and three long tail-flames grew from his backside.

"His flames will keep regenerating, no matter how many times he's attacked. That's why they call the Leader of the 1st Division…Marco the Phoenix!"

**FWOOSH!** Marco revealed himself to have been turned into a giant phoenix!

"I've never seen a bird like that, before," Kizaru commented as he continued to shoot his beams at Marco.

**FWOOSH! FWOOSH! POOF! POOF!** Kizaru's beams just fazed through Marco's flames. **FWAP!** Marco transformed into his hybrid form, and **WHAK!** He attempted kick Kizaru in the face, but the Admiral blocked it with his arm.

"Hmm…" Kizaru said. "This hurts a little."

"Yeah, right!" Marco growled.

**BOOM!** An explosion went off, and Marco was sent flying.

"Admiral!" a Marine cried, only to see Kizaru unharmed. "Oh. You're all right."

"Giant squad!" Kizaru called to the giants. "Watch out for attacks from the air!"

"Yes, sir!" the giants boomed before they marched into battle.

"Watch out! Here come the giants!"

"Everyone, get back!"

"Huh? Jozu! What are you doing?!"

**WHAP!** Jozu grabbed a nearby iceberg, and using his diamond-hard head, he broke it off from the ground and with unbelievable strength, he began to lift it up!

"What the hell?!" cried a Marine soldier. "Do you see that?!"

"He's so powerful!" shouted another.

"RRRAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Jozu roared.

**THOOM!** He hurled the gigantic iceberg towards the plaza!

"CATCH THIS!" Jozu shouted.

"Look out! An iceberg!"

"It's huge!"

Akainu sighed as he stood up.

"Damn," he cursed. "If we all go out, then who's going to defend this position?"

**BLUP! BLUP!** His arm suddenly turned into a huge plume of what looked like black smoke. However, a closer revealed it not to be smoke, but hot, fiery magma.

"Admiral Akainu!" cried the Marines.

Just as the iceberg loomed closer, **RRMMMB! KRAK! KRAK! BOOM!** A gigantic magma fist completely vaporizes the iceberg!

"Great ERUPTION!" yelled Akainu.

The pirates gasped in shock.

"He…he completely destroyed the iceberg!"

"Another Devil Fruit?! What is he?!"

Ken watched Akainu fire magma from his arm.

_That is the power of Admiral Akainu's Devil Fruit,_ the wolf-dog thought. _The Mag-Mag Fruit._

**SHWOO! KRASH!** A flaming piece of magma fell down from the sky, nearly hitting the pirates.

"HOLY CRAP!"

"LOOK OUT! MAGMA BLASTS!"

**KRASH! KRASH! BOOM!** The magma blasts began to fall towards the _Moby Dick_, and pirates were dodging them, left and right.

"Jeez, they're everywhere!"

"I can't get away from them!"

**BOOM! FWOOSH!** One of the magma blasts hit one of Whitebeard's ships.

"Oh, no! The ship's on fire! Someone, do something!"

"She's gonna sink!"

**KRAK! KRAK! KRAK!** The magma hit the ice in the bay, causing it to melt.

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone is watching the battle go on…and they were horrified.

"It's like we're watching the Apocalypse…" whispered one of the spectators.

A little boy, holding his mother's hand, looked up at her and noticed her worried visage.

"Momma?" the little boy asked.

The mother looked down at her son.

"Poppa and Ken are gonna be okay, right?" asked the boy. "Those pirates aren't gonna kill him, will they?"

"No, no!" the mother said as she knelt down to his height level. "Of course not! Ken and your Poppa are coming home, alive! I promise!"

The boy smiled, but at the same time, he was still unsure, and the mother looked back up to the monitor.

_Why would they put this up on monitors?_ she thought to herself. _There could be children watching this, too! Has this world gone mad?!_

XXX

Back at Marineford, Whitebeard raised his giant glaive, and **SHUNK!** He caught a chunk of magma on the blade!

"Well, now," said Whitebeard. "That's a bit of a flashy entrance, there? Don't you think, Stefan?"

**ROWF!** Stefan barked, again.

**FWOO!** Whitebeard blew out the magma like it was a candle.

"Why don't you stick to lightning candles on birthday cakes, Akainu?" Whitebeard questioned, his grin still on his face.

Akainu merely chuckled and said, "I'd much rather light your funeral pyre, Whitebeard."

**KLANG!** Vice-Admiral Ronse swung his axe at Vista and another Whitebeard Pirate, but they managed to block his attack by holding the axe back with Vista's swords and the pirate's mace, respectively.

"Keep firing those cannons! Don't let up, yet!"

**BOOM! BOOM! THOOM! KRASH! KABOOM!** The cannons were still being fired, here and there. Pirates and Marines let out battle cries. Dogs fell victim to pirate attacks, but wouldn't let up their assault.

The pirates continued their charge toward the bay.

"Come on! Keep going!"

"Don't stop until you get to the plaza! We gotta save Ace, no matter what!"

**FWOOSH!** 15th Division Commander Fossa swung his flaming katana at any Marines in his path.

**SLASH!** 12th Division Commander Haruta cut off the helmet of a Marine soldier.

**SHWUFF!** 6th Division Commander Blamenco reached his hand into one of the mysterious pockets on his chin. **THWUP!** From within, he pulled out a giant hammer. **KROOM!** He pounded the hammer into a Marine Vice-Admiral.

"Stop the Division Commanders! Whatever you do, DO NOT let them reach land! Sink the _Moby Dick_ and take Whitebeard's and Stefan's heads!"

**BOOM! BOOM! **The cannons went off, once more, aiming at an enormous shape that rose up from the sea and is now approaching Marineford.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!" The figure roared, and upon hearing that roar, the pirates cheered, but the Marines froze in shock.

"All right! Here comes Little Oz Jr.!"

"Yeah! We're sure to win, now!"

"Come on, Little Oz Jr.! Turn these Marine ships into kindling!"

The figure is revealed to be an abnormally large giant, almost as large as large and as tall as at least three giants. His overall shape resembled Oz from _Thriller Bark_, except for the fact that Oz was taller. His skin is a yellow-green color, and he has long, auburn hair that reached down to his legs, which are quite small in comparison to his large belly and hairy, hulking forearms. He has long fangs sticking out of his lower jaw, and two horns protruding form his head that point upward, black triangle-like eyebrow-like marking over his eyes, and has some stubble on his chin. Around his neck are three giant skulls on a beaded necklace, and he sports a black, open jacket with samurai-like armor plates protecting his chest and back, and a loincloth with a mimetic pattern which has the design of the hulls of Marine battleships which is held up by a fur-lined belt, which held a gigantic sword with a long blade and hilt at his hip. Hanging from the back of his neck is a Japanese straw hat that's just his size.

He is Little Oz Jr., a member of the Whitebeard Pirates…and the descendent of Oz, which explains why he's shorter than him. Oz was four giants tall. Little Oz Jr. is three giants tall.

"Look at him!" shouted Vice-Admiral Doberman. "He's enormous! Our giants are dwarves, compared to him!"

"Ace is my friend!" Little Oz Jr. boomed. "There's no way I'm letting him die! GRAAAAAAH~!"

"Don't let him into the bay, whatever you do!" exclaimed Vice-Admiral Momonga. "He'll end up clearing a path for the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates!"

"KISHISHISHISHISHI~!" Moria cackled. "Oz's descendant for Whitebeard?! Just when I thought this day was only going to get boring, it got better! I want him! I want his corpse!"

Kuma just stood in his place without a word, while Doflamingo chuckled.

"Well, well," he said. "This is getting interesting."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I admit it. This one's shorter than the last! I'm sorry! TT^TT

At least I got two up in one day, and that's something!

Review, please!


	6. Oz Jr and the Hat

**Ch. 6- Oz Jr. and the Hat**

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

"RAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Little Oz Jr. roared as he began his charge into the battlefield. At that moment, the giants began their charge, as well.

"Watch out!" cried one of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Here come the giants!"

"They're going after Little Oz Jr.!" cried another.

Ken looked over and saw that Crystal is standing right in the giants' path, but she didn't see them for she had been trying to fight off a pirate on her own.

**WHOOSH!** He dashed in and pushed the Shepherd dog out of the way, just as the giants ran by.

"_Thank you, again, sir,"_ Crystal said to her Commanding Officer.

"_Thank me later,"_ Ken answered.

The giants continued their charge into battle.

"This is the first time," Vice-Admiral Lacroix began, "that I've ever had to look up to anyone."

"Same here," said another giant with a smirk.

"At any rate," said Lacroix, "it's our duty to stop that monster!"

**KROOM!** Little Oz Jr. picked up a battleship, with its crew still on it!

Marines scrambled left and right, trying to get him to let go. They even fired their cannons at the behemoth.

"Ugh!" Little Oz Jr. grunted in pain as he was hit in the shoulder with a cannonball, but withstood.

"His bulk is incredible!" cried one of the marines. "He's more than twice the size of the Giant Squad!"

"Keep firing at him! He may be huge, but he's still flesh and blood! Our fire will take its toll on him, eventually!"

Sengoku watched from the execution scaffold, standing next to Ace, who watched in horror.

"Whitebeard sure has a terrible underling under his command," the Fleet Admiral commented.

"OZ!" Ace shouted. "GO BACK! YOU'RE TOO BIG A TARGET!"

"Ace!" Little Oz Jr. called back. "I'm coming to save you, if it's the last thing I do!"

**KA-THOOM!** He threw down the battleship he was holding down into the bay. **KROOSH!** He hit's the two giants that had been charging at him with it.

"AAAAAGGH!" the two giants cried in pain before they are thrown back.

"Look!" exclaimed one of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Little Oz Jr. has cleared a path into the bay for us!"

"Follow him!"

With a cheer, the pirates followed Little Oz Jr. into the bay, armed with their weapons.

"This is bad!" said a Marine Vice-Admiral. "Fall back and defend the line at the bay! Don't let these scumbags enter the plaza!"

The Marine K9 Unit had already heeded the order, and stood back at the bay, waiting for the pirates to attack.

"_Get ready!"_ shouted Ping, a female Akita dog and the leader of K9 Unit 3. _"Here they come!"_

**SLISH!**

"GRAAAAAAAAH!"

Using his giant sword, Little Oz Jr. cut down Vice-Admiral Lacroix, sending him down to the ground.

"Oz, be careful!" Whitebeard called. "Courage is one thing, but getting killed is another!"

"Pops! Don't try to stop me!" Little Oz Jr. called to Whitebeard. "I'm gonna save him! There's no way I'm letting them kill Ace!"

"I know!" Whitebeard exclaimed. "The rest of you guys, back Oz up! Support him from behind!"

"AYE~!" the pirates yelled.

Little Oz Jr. raised his sword once again, preparing to cut down Vice-Admiral Ronse and some of other giants.

"How in the hell are we supposed to fight something this huge?!" asked one of the giants.

**KLANG! BOOM!** Little Oz Jr. brought his massive sword down. Ronse managed to block the attack, but some of the giants weren't so lucky.

Meanwhile, one of the pirates had aimed his bazooka at Hancock and Salome, who watched everything from the wall.

"Since you'll be focusing all your firepower on Oz," said the pirate, "then the rest of us can focus on killing you!"

**SWIF!** Hancock raised her index finger to her lips, and then, **SMOOCH! BLOOP!** She kissed it, and conjured up a heart-shaped balloon in the air. **SWUP! KREEEEEK!** She pulled the balloon back, like a bow.

"Slave…ARROW!"

**TWANG! WHOOSH! SHUNK! KRINK!** Hancock "knocked" what looked like heart-shaped arrows from the balloon, which had burst, and the arrows hit the pirates in their chests, which caused them, as well as their ammunition, to turn to solid stone.

"What the hell?!" cried one of the pirates. "What just happened to you guys?!"

Another pirate turned to look at the female Warlord.

"Now I get it!" he said. "You must be the Pirate Empress!"

**THWAK! KREK!** Hancock kicked the pirate in the side of his face, and somehow, his head begins to turn to stone, even though he is still moving.

"What the…?!" the pirate questioned. "M-my body…it's shattered!"

**THWAK! THWAK! WHAK!** Hancock flipped around and around, kicking not just any pirates in her wake, but Marines, as well!

"Perfume FEMUR!" she yelled.

"Hey!" shouted a Marine. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

**FWIP! FWIP! FWIP! TMP!** Hancock did several somersaults backward before she jumped up and landed on Salome, who had become a platform of sorts for her.

"I agreed to fight the Whitebeard Pirates," said Hancock, "but that doesn't mean that I am on your side."

"Huh?!"

"All men are the same to me," Hancock starts, "…except for him."

"…?!"

"Consider my condition to the Government fulfilled," said Hancock.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" barked a Marine, who had half of his face turned to stone.

"My beauty says so," Hancock said.

"That…that bitch!" the Marine said, although he had a faint blush to his cheeks.

Just then, Kuma steps forth, and opened his palms, revealing a small, paw-shaped air bubble.

"Ursus Shock," he said.

**KABAM!** A gigantic air-compressed bomb exploded, hitting Little Oz Jr. at full force and blowing some of the pirates and the Marines away!

"AAAAAAAGH!" Little Oz Jr. screamed in pain, and it almost looked like he was going to fall, but he did not. However, he has now suffered a grievous head injury, judging by the stream of blood flowing down his face.

"OZ!" Ace cried.

**SWUFF! BOOM!** Little Oz Jr. fell to his knees, drifting in and out of unconsciousness.

**THUD!** His Japanese straw hat fell from his back and landed on the ground, and he eyed it for a moment before he began to crawl forward.

"NO!" Ace called at the top of his voice. "STOP, OZ! DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! YOU WON'T MAKE IT!"

But Little Oz Jr. pressed on, despite his pain. At that moment, he let his mind wander to when Ace gave him a very special present.

"_Huh? Hey, Ace? What's this thing?"_

_Flashback_

"I made it for you!" Ace said as he looked up to Little Oz Jr. "I learned how to make it from the people of Wano Country. Go ahead! Try it on!"

Little Oz Jr. placed a giant Japanese straw hat on his crown.

"You pretty much need the thing, since you're so close to the sun and all," Ace commented.

"It took Ace at least three times to make that hat for you, Little Oz Jr.! He kept burning the thing up! Ha-ha-ha!"

"What did you expect? That's what happens when a guy who's made of fire tries to weave straw!"

"Oh, ha-ha," Ace said, sarcastically. "Gee, that's so funny, I forgot how to laugh!"

Little Oz Jr. smiled and said, "Say! You're right, Ace! It's a whole lot! Thanks!"

"No problem!" Ace said. "Glad you like it!"

_Flashback end_

"Ugh…" Little Oz Jr. moaned as he began to totter back and forth, as if he might collapse any minute.

"Now's our chance!" shouted a Marine Captain. "Fire at Oz, now!"

_Flashback_

Little Oz Jr. sat outside, in the middle of pouring rain, without a care in the world.

"Commander Oz?!" cried on the pirates. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the rain! You're gonna catch cold!"

Little Oz Jr. simply chuckled and said, "Keeps me nice and dry, too. This hat Ace made sure is nice!"

_Flashback end_

**KABOOM! KRASH!** Little Oz Jr. took a cannonball to the face.

"OZ!" cried one of the pirates.

"It's no use!" said another. "He's just too big a target! He's a sitting duck out here!"

**Huff…huff…!** Little Oz Jr. panted heavily. It almost appeared as if he was going to die on his feet, but then, he suddenly raised his enormous fist.

"I…I gotta…" he panted. "I gotta…take out…at least one of the Warlords!"

Doflamingo looked up when he heard that sentence.

**KRAASH!** Little Oz Jr. smashed the wall the Warlord stood upon with a devastating punch, but it wasn't enough, for it is revealed that Doflamingo had somersaulted into the air, above the behemoth.

"Heh-heh-heh…!" the Warlord chuckled.

_Flashback_

The Whitebeard Pirates gasped when they saw Little Oz Jr. sitting in the snow.

"Commander Oz?! What are you doing, sitting outside again?!"

"Keeps the snow off me, too," said Little Oz Jr. "I don't even feel cold! I love this hat Ace made for me!"

_Flashback end_

**SHLAK!** Doflamingo had landed behind Little Oz Jr. …whose leg had somehow had been cut, clean off!

"HAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Doflamingo laughed. "So much fun~!"

**THOOM!** Little Oz Jr. fell to one knee. He panted heavily, he moaned, and he wheezed.

"OZ, NO!" Ace cried.

Using whatever strength he had left, Little Oz Jr. crawled toward the execution platform, his hands crossing into the plaza!

"No! He's inside the plaza!"

"Do something! Don't let him get near Ace!"

"Just…a little more," Little Oz Jr. wheezed out. "I'm almost there…!"

Moria growled.

"Damn you, Doflamingo!" he cursed. "You went and cut off his leg! Well, no matter. Oz's corpse will be mine later! Brick BAT!"

**FWAP! FWAP! FWAP!** Thousands of Brick Bats appeared behind Moria.

"Go!" the shadow Warlord ordered.

**SHOOM!** The Brick Bats came together to form a giant lizard-like shape, and then…**SHUNK!** It up and out…impaling Little Oz Jr. in the stomach…and his hand was only a few feet away from reaching Ace.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Luffy's coming up next, folks!

Review, please!


	7. Justice Will Prevail

**Ch. 7- Justice Will Prevail**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Kuma and Mihawk stood in silence as Little Oz Jr. began to fall limp.

"KISHISHISHISHISHI!" Moria laughed. "Look there! THAT'S how you make a smart and elegant kill! KISHISHISHISHI~!"

"I didn't think that there was a man that big in the outer seas," Hancock commented.

"COMMANDER OZ!" cried one of Little Oz Jr.'s crewmates, who had on a wig that was designed like his hair and a fake lower jaw.

"Damn the Seven Warlords!" cursed another. "They play dirty!"

Little Oz Jr. panted as he looked down at Ace,

"Ace…!" he coughed out.

"OZ~!" Ace cried.

**THOOOOM!** Little Oz Jr. finally collapsed.

"OZ~!" the Whitebeard Pirates cried at the seeming death of their comrade.

"KISHISHISHISHI!" Moria laughed as his Brick Bats dispersed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Doflamingo cackled. "I just can't get enough of this! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"WHAT THE HELL'S SO FUNNY, DOFLAMINGO?!" questioned another Whitebeard Pirate: 13th Division Commander, "Water Buffalo" Atmos, a huge man, roughly the size of Jozu. In face, his choice of clothing somewhat mirrors his. He is dressed in a sleeveless gray and golden yellow armor, and wears an old-fashioned Asian-themed gray helmet with bull horns on it, which, as his epithet suggests, makes him look like a water buffalo. He has long, mane-like hair that reaches down to his waist and a beard that's just as long. He has tooth sticking out of his lower jaw that are like walrus tusks, only shorter and square-shaped. Tattooed on his arms is the mark of Whitebeard.

Meanwhile, back on the _Moby Dick_, Whitebeard stared at Little Oz Jr.'s motionless body. Even if his face didn't show it, he was definitely shocked.

"Oz…" the Emperor whispered.

**TOMP!** Vice-Admiral Ronse appeared out of nowhere, prepared to swing his axe at him.

"You're dead, Whitebeard!" the giant boomed. "You won't even have time to mourn Oz's death!"

Just when Ronse swung his axe at Whitebeard, **CHOMP! SMASH!** Stefan suddenly lunged at Ronse, bit down hard on the blade his axe, and smashed into tiny pieces.

_Don't you dare touch Edward!_ the giant dog thought.

"Stefan! Move your tail!"

Stefan leaped out of the way of Whitebeard's hand, which grabbed Ronse's hair, and with a mighty tug, he easily pulled the giant down on the masthead of the _Moby Dick_, and then, using the powers of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, **KRAKK!** Whitebeard smashed Ronse's helmet into pieces, knocking him out in the process.

"VICE-ADMIRAL RONSE~!" The Marines cried.

**KRASH!** Ronse fell to the ground, unconscious, while Whitebeard and Stefan scowled.

"That monster of his crushed Vice-Admiral Ronse's axe with his bare teeth!" exclaimed one of the Marines.

"And Whitebeard crushed his helmet with ease!" said another.

"STEP OVER OZ AND ADVANCE!" Whitebeard ordered.

The pirates roared as they charged at the Marines, once more, crushing their foes with everything they had.

XXX

Meanwhile, on an island, far, far away….

**WOOF! WOOF-WOOF!**

**OINK! OINK!**

**HRREEEEHEEHEE!**

**BA-CAW~!**

**MOOO~!**

A dog, a horse, a chicken, a pig, and a cow are seen running away, for a sudden tremor had spooked them.

"Hey! You guys, come back!" the farmer called, but they still ran away.

"It's no use, Grandpapa," said the farmer's granddaughter, who had come to visit, today. "They just won't listen! They're too scared!"

"I know," said the farmer. "Why in the world are there so many earthquakes, today?"

XXX

Back at Marineford, some of the pirates had surrounded Doflamingo, who continues to laugh as Atmos confronted him.

"What's so funny, you ask?!" asked Doflamingo. "THIS! THIS is what's so funny! We're standing in the dawn of a new era, Commander! HAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

"What?!" Atmos asked.

"Everything here hangs in the balance, 'Water Buffalo' Atmos!" said Doflamingo.

**FWIP!** He made a strange but all too familiar gesture with his hands.

"Oh, crap!" Atmos cursed. "Quick! Everyone, get away from me!"

**SWASH!** It was too late. Atmos began to attack his own men with his sword with no control of his own body, whatsoever.

"No!" Atmos cried. "Stop it, Doflamingo!"

Meanwhile, Coby is seen running away from the battlefield and into the town nearby, and following not too far behind him is Helmeppo. Why is Coby running away? He had just witnessed what happens in a war such as this: people getting slaughtered, one-by-one. First, Little Oz Jr., and then one of his fellow Marines.

_I can't do this!_ Coby thought. _I'm too much of a coward to do anything! All these people who are so much stronger than I am are dropping like flies! Why did I even bother coming here?!_

"Coby!" Helmeppo called. "Wait up!"

All of a sudden, **SKREECH!** Coby stopped running, just when he was about to turn a corner, which caused Helmeppo to stop, but in doing so, he had accidentally bumped into the back of Coby's head. **KONK!**

Coby had stopped…because he had just heard the voice of a certain Admiral.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Akainu to a Marine captain. "Get back to the battlefield, sailor."

"I-I can't sir!" said the captain. "I've lost whatever nerve I had! I don't wanna die! Please, sir! Let me be discharged! I've got a wife and two kids, and one more on the way! I gotta take care of them! Please, sir!"

Coby and Helmeppo peered around the corner, watching the whole scene.

"What's Admiral Akainu doing here?!" Coby whispered.

Just then, Akainu removed his cap and said, "If you really do care about your family…then you should die an honorable death."

"….?!"

**GLUP-GLUP!** Akainu's arm began to form into magma.

The rest…well…Coby and Helmeppo stopped watching once Akainu began to use his Devil Fruit powers, and hid behind the wall of the building. All they could hear was an agonized scream.

"Oh…my…god…!" Helmeppo whispered as tears began to fall down his face.

"Admiral Akainu, sir!" said a voice. "The preparations are complete, sir!"

"Excellent," said Akainu.

XXX

"Stay back!" Atmos cried as he continued to attack his own crew. "Don't come near me, whatever you do!"

"Commander Atmos, what are you doing?!" cried one of the pirates.

Doflamingo continued to laugh.

"Are the pirates the bad guys?" he asked. "Are the Marines the good guys?! Who knows?! Things like that change with the seasons! Kids who have never known peace and kids who have never known war have completely different ideas of what's wrong and what's right! It's the job of those at the top who decides what's good and what's evil! Right now, it could go either way! Justice will prevail?! Sure, it will, because the side of Justice…WILL BE WHICHEVER SIDE THAT WINS! HAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

The Whitebeard Pirates and the Marines continued to fight on.

**BOOM! BOOM!** Marines were hit by rifles and bazookas.

**POW!** A pirate was punched in the mouth by a Marine with brass knuckles.

**YIPE!** Branson, a Bulldog/Pit Bull mix with a smoking pipe in his mouth and the Commanding Officer of Marine K9 Unit, is struck in the face by a saber.

"Defend the path that Oz cleared for us!" cried one of the pirates. "Move in, now!"

**KRASH!** A gigantic pirate ship with an ice breaker on the prow crashed into the wall.

"What the?! It's an ice breaker!" cried one of the Marines.

At that moment, a woman appeared on the masthead of the ship.

"It's the Ice Witch, Whitey Bay!" exclaimed another Marine.

Whitey Bay is a woman with long, flowing, blue hair, like Vivi's, only with a lighter color, full lips, and there is a confident expression written all over her face. She sports a short striped dress closed by laces that have flower-shaped buttons with loose sleeves and a scarf. She also has on a polka-dotted bandana, and over that is a light blue and purple bicorn hat with her Jolly Roger, which is a skull with a snowflake design, in the center. Draped around her shoulders is a long flowing cape.

"This iceberg is nothing to me," said Bay.

Now the pirates had two ways to enter, since Bay had breached Marineford's defenses at a different point. It looked like the whole of the HQ was going to be overrun with pirates, but Sengoku seemed unbelievably calm.

At that moment, the Fleet Admiral chose to contact Tsuru, who had somehow caused some of the pirate to flattened like clothes and hanging from a clothes-line of some sort.

"I'm all washed up," said one pirate.

"I got sent to the cleaners," said another pirate.

"**Tsuru!"** Sengoku called her via Mini Transponder Snail. **"We're putting the plan into effect, now!"**

"I suppose it is that time, isn't it?" asked Tsuru. "Transmit the message to the entire fleet!"

Soon, other Marine officers had been given a message from Sengoku. Stefan's ears twitched his ears, listening in on everything due to his advanced hearing, but Whitebeard simply grinned.

"GURARARARARA…" he chuckled in his throat. "I know you've got some kind of trick up your sleeve. You certainly are a cunning foe…eh, 'Buddha' Sengoku?"

Just then, Ace sensed a presence, and turned to see who it was approaching him, and when he did, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Gramps…!" Ace whispered.

Indeed. Garp had come to stand on the execution platform with Ace and Sengoku.

"And just what are you doing up here, Garp?" asked Sengoku. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"Of course not," Garp answered. "This is war, Sengoku, and our enemies are the Whitebeard Pirates. There's no room for mercy for them, here."

"In that case-" Sengoku began, but Garp suddenly cuts him off.

"SHUT IT!" Garp barked. "Just let me sit here, all right?!"

"…fine," Sengoku said.

Ace sat there on his knees, staring at Garp, who sat cross-legged beside him.

Before long, Garp began to think back to days long passed.

"_You stupid boy!"_

_Flashback; 10 years ago_

**BAP!** A ten-year-old Ace suddenly fell to the ground, having been struck by a hard punch.

"Ace!" a seven-year-old Luffy cried. "Are you okay?!"

As one can very well see, Luffy has his signature straw hat, so this took place after Shanks left his village.

"'I'm gonna go out to sea, someday?'" Garp questioned. "Ridiculous! There's no way I'm going to let that happen!"

Ace sucked his teeth and wiped the blood off his lip, while Luffy stood at his side, nervously..

"You're not the boss of me," he said. "You're not even my Father! You can't tell me what to do, you old fart!"

"What did you call me?!" Garp asked. "Call me 'Grandpa', you little smart aleck!"

"…old fart," Ace muttered.

Garp growled and raised his fist.

"I guess you're asking for another Fist of Love, huh?!" he asked before he blew on his fist, but then…

"Hey, Grandpa!"

Garp looked over to Luffy, who was smiling.

"Someday, I'm gonna get bigger and stronger," said Luffy, "and when I do, I wanna go out and sail the sea with Ace!"

**BONK!** Garp quickly hit Luffy on the noggin, causing a large bump to form, and for Luffy to start crying in pain as he nursed.

"OWIE~!" Luffy cried.

"Dammit, Luffy!" Garp snapped. "You're not gonna start with that, too! Your mother may've allowed it when she was alive, but now that she's gone, you have to do what I say!"

"You leave Luffy alone, you crappy old fart!" Ace shouted as he stood before his little brother, defensively.

"Huh?! 'Crappy'?!" Garp questioned. "DAMMIT ALL, ACE! WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

"RUN FOR IT, LUFFY!"

"I-I'M COMING!"

That night, Garp, Ace, and Luffy were eating a huge dinner of meat, fruit, and other things.

"Listen up, you two," Garp said as he ate at a fast pace. "Sometimes, a battle can come unexpectedly, so you've gotta eat to the fullest whenever you have the chance! That's one of the important things of being a Marine soldier! Don't you forget that!"

"Marine?!" Ace questioned as he gulped down a fish. "'Marine', my ass! You can't decide that for us!"

Before long, Ace and Garp were butting heads.

"What did you say?!"

"You heard what I said, you old coot! I'm gonna be a pirate!"

"You and Luffy are gonna be Marines, and you're gonna like it!"

"I'm gonna be a pirate!"

"You're gonna be a Marine!"

"Pirate!"

"Marine!"

"PIRATE!"

"MARINE!"

**URRRP!**

"Yummy~!"

Ace and Garp looked down and saw, to their horror, that all the food had disappeared, and Luffy had bloated up like a balloon!

"AH! HE ATE IT ALL!" Ace and Garp cried.

"I'm stuffed!" Luffy exclaimed.

**FWUMP!** He flopped down on his back and fell fast asleep.

"I'm gonna be…a pirate…" he muttered in his sleep, his belly rising and falling with each snore.

Ace and Garp sighed and sat down in defeat, but then, the former flashed a grin.

"You know, Gramps," said Ace. "If Luffy ever does end up becoming a Marine, his entire food stock will be gone within a day."

"I guess so," Garp agreed. "He'd be an even bigger handful than the pirates! BWAHAHAHAHA~!"

_Flashback end_

Ace and Garp sat in silence.

"…but this is family," Garp said, suddenly. "What the hell should I do?!"

Suddenly, Ace heard the sound of Garp…choking back sobs.

"Dammit all, Ace!" Garp sobbed. "Why? Why didn't you and Luffy live the way I wanted you to?! Can't you see that it was for your own good?!"

Ace stared at Garp with wide eyes. At long last, he finally understood why Garp had wanted him and Luffy to become Marines: it was all to save them from being on death row, and now that Ace had become a pirate, as well as the fact that Gold Roger was his father, nothing, not even the man who had come to be his grandfather, could save him now.

It would take a miracle.

"Gramps…!" Ace muttered, almost sounding close to tears.

"Garp," Sengoku said. "Don't you start getting any funny ideas in that thick skull of yours. If you start a commotion, here and now, I'll dispose of you, too."

"Trust me, Sengoku," said Garp. "If I were going to do something, then I'd have done it a long time ago, but I didn't, so there!"

XXX

Meanwhile, not too far away, Coby and Helmeppo are heading back to the battlefield.

"Helmeppo," Coby whispered. "Did you hear about the plan?"

"Yeah, I did!" Helmeppo whispered back.

"They're gonna execute Ace ahead of schedule!" Coby revealed. "But, if they do that…then…"

"Yeah, I know…but…huh?" Helmeppo began, but then, he spotted something…in the sky.

"What the…?" Coby began.

"There's something falling from the sky!" Helmeppo commented.

Up in the sky, everyone could hear what sounded like…screams, as well as the howl of a dog.

"I'M TELLING YOU, NOW, THAT YOU KEEP GOING TOO FAR!"

"It's because this guy here winked."

"Don't vyou go blaming this on me, Croc Boy!"

"Stop bickering! The ice is just below! We'll all be killed!"

"What the hell?!" a Marine questioned. "There's something falling out of the sky!"

Ken's nose suddenly twitched as a familiar scent came to his nose.

_B…Blizzard?!_ he thought.

Ace stared up, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"No…" he muttered. "It…it can't be…!"

But it is, for falling from the sky is his little brother, followed by the army of Impel Down escapees.

Luffy and Blizzard had arrived, at last!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Luffy screamed, but then stopped. "Hey, wait a second! Why am I screaming? I'm made of rubber, so I'll be fine!"

_Oh, gee, Luffy, I'm happy for ya,_ Blizzard thought, sarcastically, as comical tears came out of his eyes as he fell. _WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF US, YOU DUMB-ASS?! _ME _IN PARTICULAR?!_

"SOMEBODY, DO SOMETHING!" Mr. 3 cried.

"THIS IS NOT THE WAY I WANT TO DIE!" Ivankov shouted. "SOMEONE STOP ME!"

"I KNEW I NEVER SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO YOU AND YOUR CRAZY IDEAS, STRAW HAT!" Buggy yelled.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Yay! Luffy's here! Pretty emotional chapter, eh?

Review, please!


	8. Luffy and Whitebeard

**Ch. 8- Luffy and Whitebeard and Blizzard and Stefan**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

_Flashback_

We now see what happened to Luffy and the others during the fight: they had ended up stuck on top of the frozen tsunami, with seemingly no way down.

"What just happened?!" Luffy asked. "How'd we get all the way up here?!"

"How should I know?!" Buggy, now dressed in a Marine uniform with the symbol crossed out, questioned. "The huge wave picked us up, and then, BAM! It froze! And now we're stuck in the ice!"

"Look down there," said Crocodile, standing at the edge of the frozen wave, watching the battle going on, down below. "You can see everything."

"Old Man Whitebeard!" Jimbei cried.

"The war…has already started!" Ivankov said.

Blizzard looked down as well.

_We're too far up,_ he thought. _I can't see Fire Fist from way up here, but I can definitely smell his scent. He's somewhere down there, all right._

"Okay, you guys!" Luffy called. "Listen up! I've got an idea of how we can get down from here, but we gotta hurry! Ace is gonna be killed in less than three hours if we don't move!"

_Oh, no,_ Blizzard thought. _Whenever Luffy has an idea, it's almost always a bad one._

This was Luffy's plan: the Impel Down escapees could slide down the wave and into open water.

"Have you lost your damn mind, Straw Hat?!" Buggy yelled.

_Yes,_ Blizzard thought. _Yes, he has._

"It's the only way!" Luffy said. "But first thing's first! We gotta break the ship outta the ice!"

"This is a battleship!" Mr. 3 shouted. "There's no way we can move it!"

"We can if we work together!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Hey!" Buggy said. "All of a sudden, I feel like I can do it!"

"Yeah! That's right!" cried one of Buggy's followers. "He's Cap'n Buggy! The man who's gonna conquer the world!"

**BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP! BELLIP-BELLIP-BELLIP!** The Transponder Snail rang.

"Blizzard!" Luffy said. "Go pick it up!"

Blizzard nodded and pulled the receiver off the snail's shell.

**KOCHEP!**

"**Attention, all fleets!"** called Sengoku's voice.

Everyone turned their attention to the Transponder Snail.

"**Goal point TOTTZ. Change formation and proceed to step three of the standard maneuvers. Finish the preparations."**

"It's a message for the Marines," said one of the Impel Down escapees.

"Sounds like some kind of code," said another.

Blizzard cocked his head in confusion.

_Preparations? What's he talking about?_ he thought. _And why is he speaking in code? I'll never understand the Marines._

"**Ace will be executed ahead of schedule, as soon as preparations are complete."**

Luffy's eyes went wide and he gasped silently.

"W…what…?!" he questioned. "No!"

_They can't!_ Blizzard thought.

"IVA! DO SOMETHING!" Luffy shouted. "USE YOUR WINK! QUICK!"

_No, no, no, no, NO!_ Blizzard thought. _DON'T WINK! DON'T!_

"Death…WINK!"

**BOOM! KRAKK!** Ivankov winked, but the resulting blast not only caused the ship to be freed from the ice…but to end up plummeting down the other direction.

"Uh-oh," Ivankov muttered.

"AAAAAAH!" Mr. 3 screamed.

"No, no, NO!" Luffy shouted. "The other way! THE OTHER WAY!"

_What did I say?!_ Blizzard thought. _I KNEW that this was a bad idea! Whenever Luffy comes up with an idea, IT ALMOST ALWAYS ENDS IN DISASTER!_

"WE'RE FALLING~!" Buggy cried.

_Flashback end_

Ace and the Marines stared in shock as the battleship fell from the frozen wave, and then, **SPLOOSH!** The ship crashed into the only part of water that hasn't been frozen.

Not many seemed to notice though, for they were still fighting on.

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone watched in shock and confusion.

"What just happened?!"

"Did a battleship just fall from the sky?!"

XXX

Sengoku and Whitebeard stared at the battleship, which had broken in half, also surprised by this sudden entrance.

"Hey, look!" said one of the Impel Down escapees.

"It's the ocean!" said another. "We ended up falling into the water!"

"Why is the only spot that isn't frozen?!"

"For a minute, I thought we were gonna fall on the ice and get crushed to death!"

"Hey!" said Mr. 3. "What happened to Buggy and Straw Hat?"

Under the water, it is revealed that Luffy and Buggy had fallen into the water. Luckily for them, Jimbei and Blizzard had dived in to save them.

"These Devil Fruit users can be such nuisances," said Jimbei.

_You don't know the half of it,_ Blizzard thought as he pulled Luffy up to the surface, followed by Jimbei taking Buggy.

"Get up!" shouted Jimbei as he dragged Buggy back onto the battleship.

"Come on, Captain Buggy!" said one of Buggy's followers. "Compared to the water torture in Impel Down, this is nothing!"

**KOFF! KOFF! GABACK!** Luffy coughed and hacked up some water, and then panted. His body was a bit weak due to being soaked in the sea water, but then, Blizzard grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest with his teeth and began to tug on it.

Luffy stood up, a bit shakily at first, but his strength slowly started to return. Then, Blizzard started to nudge Luffy from behind, forcing him climb up to the prow of the ship. At first, all Luffy could see was dust and smoke, but then, as the dust settled, just for a moment…he saw him.

Ace, kneeling down on the platform!

"There he is!" Luffy cried. "I see him!"

"LUFFY~!" Ace shouted.

"ACE~!" Luffy called back. "I FOUND YOU!"

At that moment, everyone turned to see Luffy and Blizzard, as well as their army of Impel Down prisoners.

"Look!" said one of the Marines. "That's Crocodile!"

"It's not just Crocodile!" said another. "Look at the others!"

"I'm here to save you, Ace!" Luffy called.

_**ARROOOOOOOO~!**_ Blizzard howled.

"Goodness!" Ivankov exclaimed. "They mean business! Look at how many there are!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Buggy cackled. "Look out, world, 'cause here I come!"

"GARP!" Sengoku roared. "IT'S THAT ACCURSED GRANDSON OF YOURS, AGAIN!"

"LUFFY!" Garp cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

At that moment, Blizzard spotted an all-too-familiar face from afar: his little brother.

_Ken?!_ Blizzard thought. _Ah, crap, not him, again! Somehow, I knew he'd be here!_

"Jimbei! And Crocodile!" said one of the Marines.

"Even the Revolutionary, Ivankov!" said another.

"And they've got a lot of other notorious pirates with them!" added another. "They're escapees from Impel Down!"

"Never a dull moment with you," Mihawk again, "eh, Straw Hat?"

"STRAW HAT~!" Moria roared, angrily.

"What the hell's he doing here?!" questioned Fullbody.

"That's not his usual crew!" Jango added. "Plus…I've never seen that dog with him, before!"

"Luffy…!" Hancock whispered, her cheeks blushing a bright pink. "Thanks goodness you and Blizzard are safe!"

Coby climbed up a wall to look at the scene.

"Helmeppo!" Coby called. "Look!"

Helmeppo soon joined Coby's side, and lifted his shades to see what was happening, and when he did, he gasped.

"S-STRAW HAT?!" he cried.

"I heard that they had Luffy in Impel Down!" Coby said. "I knew he'd get out of there, somehow!"

"That there's a nice bunch you've got," Aokiji mused.

Kuma remained silent.

"Well, well," Kizaru said. "I didn't expect to see you and White Wolf so soon, Straw Hat."

"So that's the little brother that Ace talks so much about," Marco commented.

"HAHAHAHAHA~!" Doflamingo laughed. "The Seven Warlords, both old and new, are here! And that's what we call the 'Legendary Upstart', Straw Hat!"

"Didn't your mother teach you to look at your opponents when you're fighting?!" shouted a pirate that tried to cut Commodore Smoker, only for his attack to faze straight through his smoky body.

"Commodore Smoker!" Tashigi called. "Look!"

"I know, Tashigi!" Smoker said. "It's Straw Hat and Crocodile! What a strange alliance."

Akainu eyed the scene from his place.

"So," he said, "that's the grandson of Garp 'the Hero' and the son of Dragon. He must be eliminated, as well."

"SO!" Sengoku shouted. "IS THAT YOUR ANSWER, THEN, JIMBEI?!"

"YES, IT IS!" Jimbei yelled. "AS OF TODAY, I RESIGN FROM THE SEVEN WARLORDS!"

"They certainly are an odd lot," Garp commented. "They don't seem to have any common interests in this fight."

Back on the battleship, Ivankov noticed that someone is missing.

"Huh?" Ivankov muttered. "Where's Croc Boy?"

"Hey, you're right," Buggy said. "Where'd he go?"

**SHEEN!** Crocodile, who had turned into sand, appeared right behind Whitebeard, his hook raised.

"THERE HE IS!" Buggy shouted. "HE'S TRYING TO GET THE JUMP ON ME, THAT CHEATER!"

"Oh, no!" cried one of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Crocodile's going after Pops!"

"Pops!" cried another pirate.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Whitebeard," said Crocodile. "DIE!"

Just when Stefan was about to attack Crocodile, **WHAK!** Luffy appeared in Gear Second mode and kicked Crocodile in the face. A closer look revealed that his leg is still wet with water, and since water is Crocodile's only weakness besides the sea, Luffy was able to touch him.

**SKRRSH! TUMP!** Crocodile slid back while Luffy landed on his feet.

"You little bastard," Crocodile cursed. "I fulfilled my end of the deal back in Impel Down, so why are you protecting Whitebeard?!"

"So that's Old Man Whitebeard, huh?" asked Luffy. "Well, don't you lay a finger on him! Ace really likes the old guy!"

_In other words,_ Blizzard thought as he suddenly appeared beside Luffy, _Luffy never intended to honor any agreement with a sick, twisted son of a bitch, like you._

"_Hey, pup."_

Blizzard turned and saw Stefan, and needless to say, he was stunned by the dog's massive bulk.

"_S…S…Stefan 'the Beast'?!"_ Blizzard said.

"_Tell your master that protecting Edward is MY job,"_ Stefan said. _"Got that?"_

Blizzard just stood there with mouth and eyes wide open.

At that moment, the other pirates appeared, and blocked Crocodile's path.

"Ace's little brother's not too bad," Marco mused.

Whitebeard suddenly noticed Luffy's hat, which hung off the back of his neck.

"_In the East Blue…who's the bastard that took away that left arm of yours?"_

"_What, you mean this? I sacrificed it for the sake of the new era."_

"Boy," Whitebeard said. "That straw hat of yours…it looks a lot like the one that Red Hair used to wear."

"You mean you know Shanks?!" Luffy asked as he turned to look at him. "I'm just holding onto it, for him!"

_Flashback_

Ace showed Whitebeard a wanted poster….Luffy's first wanted poster.

"Hey, Pops, look at this!" said Ace. "This here is my little brother, Luffy!"

"Is that so?" Whitebeard asked.

_Flashback end_

"So," said Whitebeard, "you've come to save your big brother, haven't you?"

"That's right!" Luffy said.

"Do you even know who you're up against?" Whitebeard asked. "You'll wind up dead on some Marine's sword before you even realize it!"

"Shut your trap, old man!" Luffy shouted.

Everyone gasped.

_No…not that!_ Blizzard thought. _Anything but that!_

"You're not the one who decides whether I live or die in this fight!" Luffy said. "If you really think you're gonna find the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates, first, then you've got another thing coming, because I'M gonna be King of the Pirates!"

Now, everyone froze in shock.

_WHAT IS HE THINKING?!_ they all thought.

Whitebeard seemed angry, at first, but then, he grinned.

"You cheeky brat," he said.

Stefan then looked down at Blizzard, who looked back up at him upon feeling his gaze.

"_That boy of yours has got a snarky tongue on him,"_ Stefan said to Blizzard. _"You better shut him up before I rip it right out of his mouth."_

At first, Blizzard was thinking about running to hide behind Luffy, but then, he put on a look of seriousness.

"_I hope that's not a threat,"_ Blizzard thought, _"'cause I don't care how huge you are, I won't forgive ANYONE who dares to do Luffy harm!"_

Stefan gave Blizzard a smirk.

"_I'll believe that when I see it,"_ he said to the wolf-dog.

"You better stay out of the way, then, you little snot!" Whitebeard shouted.

"I can do whatever the heck I want!" Luffy shouted. "I'll be the one who's gonna save Ace! Come on, Blizzard! Let's do this!"

**GRROWF!** Blizzard barked.

_He's arguing with Whitebeard?!_ thought Ivankov and Buggy.

Everyone else is still frozen in fear.

"So," Kizaru said, "shall we execute every last one of them, Sengoku?"

"Absolutely," Sengoku answered.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	9. Little Brother

**Ch. 9- Little Brother**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

"They're going to kill Ace ahead of schedule?" Whitebeard asked Luffy. "Are you sure that's what they said, boy?"

"Yeah!" Luffy answered. "They said that they had to make preparations and stuff, but I couldn't understand the rest because they were speaking in code! I'm only telling you this because we both wanna save Ace!"

"All right, then," said Whitebeard. "This is useful information. Thank you, boy."

"No problem!" Luffy said. "Okay, Blizzard! Let's go!"

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked.

"HERE I COME, ACE!" Luffy called before he and Blizzard jumped off the battleship and into the battlefield.

_He was talking to Whitebeard like he was his equal!_ thought Ivankov.

_Where does he get the guts?!_ Buggy thought.

"So, they don't feel the need to follow their own schedules when it comes to us pirates, eh, Stefan?" Whitebeard mused, petting Stefan on the head. "But the key here is that they need to prepare something. We just need to figure it out what it is."

"GRAAAAAAH~!" Luffy roared as he continued the charge through the battlefield with Blizzard following not too far behind.

"Pops!" Marco called as he landed beside Whitebeard. "I overheard their conversation on the radio! They said they're gonna execute Ace ahead of schedule!"

"I know, Marco," Whitebeard said, "but keep a leveled head. Letting us get that piece of information was all a part of the plan. Allowing us to know his true intentions…is a mistake that he'd never make! GURARARARA~!"

Stefan seemed to snicker, himself, when he heard that. Obviously, Whitebeard is referring to Sengoku.

But meanwhile, Kizaru suddenly appeared in Luffy and Blizzard's path.

_Ah, man!_ Blizzard thought. _Not this chump, again!_

"The Celestial Dragons won't get off my case until I bring you in, Straw Hat," Kizaru said as he lifted his leg. **FWASH!** A light appeared from the sole of his shoe.

"Oh, crap!" Luffy cursed as he stopped in his tracks.

"It's Admiral Kizaru!" cried one of the Impel Down escapees. "Straw Hat and White Wolf are goners, now!"

_Come on, Luffy! _Blizzard thought. _I know it's not one of strong points, but THINK of something! If we don't, we're gonna get blasted!_

"Death WINK!"

**ZHEEN! BOOM!** Ivankov's powerful wink sent Luffy and Blizzard flying away, just before Kizaru's beam could hit them both. **KABOOM!** The resulting blast created a huge explosion!

"AAAAAAAH~!" the escapee crew screamed.

"I WANNA GO HOME~!" Buggy cried.

The escapees then stopped screaming and looked at Buggy in surprise.

"What?! Cap'n Buggy, are you serious?!"

"Wow! You're amazing!"

"'I wanna go at 'em,' you said?!"

"WHAT?!" Buggy questioned.

"Well, you are part of the legendary crew of Gold Roger!"

"You're no slob, even compared to Admiral Kizaru!"

"YOU LOUTS ARE WAY TOO EASILY IMPRESSED!" Mr. 3 shouted.

Back at the battlefield, Luffy and Blizzard stood to their feet, and then turned to Iva.

"That was a close one!" said Luffy. "Thanks for your help, Iva!"

"Don't thank me, yet!" Ivankov shouted. "It's my sworn duty to make sure vyou survive!"

**SHEEN~!** Another light flashed behind Ivankov, who turned to face it.

"Another one, Kizaru, vyou sneak?!" the Revolutionary questioned. "No…wait! It can't be!"

**ZAP!** A laser was fired…from Kuma's mouth!

"KUMA?!" Ivankov questioned.

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "That's the guy who separated me and Blizzard from my crew! The guy who looks like Kuma!"

_That IS Kuma!_ Blizzard thought. _I recognize his scent! What's that son of a bitch doing here?!_

**KABOOM!** Kuma made four simultaneous laser blasts at Ivankov, who quickly rolled out of the way.

"Rolling SPA!" Ivankov cried. "WAHOO!" He then stood back up to face Kuma.

"Bartholomew Kuma!" he barked. "What is the meaning of this, you bastard?! Just because they made you one of the Seven Warlords doesn't mean that you can go and fire a lasers at an old comrade!"

Kuma just stood there, not saying one word.

"Well?!" Ivankov shouted. "Why don't you say anything?!"

Back with Luffy and Blizzard, they had just run into another problem: Captain Hina, who had unleashed the powers of her Cage-Cage Fruit.

"You won't escape so easily!" Hina exclaimed. "Kimono SLEAVE CAGE!"

**KLANK!** A ring of cage bars appeared from Hina's arms, surrounding Luffy and Blizzard, plus several Marine officers and dogs.

"You!" Luffy said. "You're that Marine lady from Alabasta!"

"You and White Wolf might as well give up, Straw Hat!" Hina said. "Everything that passes through my body becomes imprisoned!"

"Oh, yeah?!" Luffy said. "Well, I'm sick and tired of being locked up! Gear SECOND!"

**BLUP-BLUP!** Luffy pumped his blood through his legs, and then **WHUP!** He jumped out of Hina's way before he could get captured, and luckily for Blizzard, he, too, had managed to dodge Hina's attack, just as she soon as she closed her arms. **KRASH!** Hina did capture someone…but it wasn't pirates.

"Hey! Hina!" cried a Marine, trapped in the bars of her cage.

"What are you doing?!" cried another Marine.

**YIPE!** Some of the dogs have become trapped, too.

"Dammit!" Hina cursed. "Those two are too fast! I couldn't even see them! Hina failed."

Luffy and Blizzard continued to run, but once more, they've run into yet another obstacle: more Marines.

"Stop right there, Straw Hat!" cried a Marine captain.

**THWAK!** Luffy was struck in the face with a spiked-ball mace.

_Hey!_ Blizzard thought. _You bastard! How dare you attack Luffy like that?! TWISTER FANG!_

**WHOOSH!** Blizzard spun around like a top and hit the Marine the jaw, too.

"AAAGH!" the Marine officer cried and held his face in pain.

"Take THIS!" Luffy shouted before he did a handstand. "Gum Gum JET STAMP!"

**WHAM!** Luffy kicked the Marine in the back of his head, and then jumped back to his feet.

"Man," Luffy said, panting. "These are guys…are strong!"

_I'll say,_ Blizzard thought. _We're gonna have to watch our backs, here, more than we ever did before!_

"You and White Wolf are as wild as ever, Straw Hat!" exclaimed Moria. "But I know just what to do with you! I'll take your shadows again, and I can use Straw Hat's shadow to control Oz's body, again! As for White Wolf…well, I don't really give a damn about him. I don't have an interest in using a dog's corpse, anymore!" He then raised his hand. "Come forth, my zombie soldiers!"

**KRESH!** Some hands came out of the ground, much to the fright of the witnessing Marines.

"AUGH!" Luffy cried as he was cut in the knee. "Dammit!"

"Luffy!" Ace cried.

At that moment, some zombies had risen from the ground before Luffy and Blizzard.

"KISHISHISHISHI!" Moria cackled. "Now, my zombie soldiers! Capture Straw Hat and White Wolf! This place is a battlefield! The more corpses there are, the more zombies I can create! KISHISHISHISHISHI~!"

Soon, more Marines came charging in.

"Execute Straw Hat and White Wolf!" shouted one. "They're the masterminds behind the jailbreak at Impel Down!"

"Keep going!" Kizaru ordered.

Ace sat on his knees, gritting his teeth.

"It's Moria!" Luffy exclaimed. "Damn! He's gonna be a problem!"

_If only we had some salt!_ Blizzard thought. _Man, I wish Usopp was here, right now!_

Just then…

"STAY BACK, LUFFY~!"

Everyone looked up at the scaffold when they heard Ace's voiced.

Luffy's attention soon returned to the Marines that are attacking him.

"Stay the hell outta my way!" Luffy cried.

**BAP!** He punched a Marine in the face.

Whitebeard and Stefan, meanwhile, stood in silence.

"You should know better than to come rushing here!" Ace cried. "That goes for that dog of yours, too! You and I are both pirates! We went out to sea, separately!"

Garp sighed.

"I have my own adventures!" Ace continued. "I have my own crewmates! There's no place for you in my life, anymore!"

"Save Ace!" yelled one of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Do you honestly think that I would let myself be rescued by a weakling like you?!" Ace questioned. "That would be the greatest insult, ever! I'M the one who's supposed to be helping YOU! Not the other way around! GO HOME, LUFFY! WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!"

"Ace…" Jimbei muttered.

_Dammit all, Luffy!_ Ace thought in anguish, bowing his head. _Don't you get it?! I don't you end up skewered on a Marine's sword because of me! It's my own fault that I got my ass in trouble!_

A pause came.

"Because…" Luffy said, "I'M YOUR LITTLE BROTHER!"

Ace gasped and shivered.

"_Hey, Luffy! Did you know that if we drink sake from each other's cups, then that would make us brothers for life?"_

_Flashback; 10 years ago_

**PLUP-PLUP-PLUP!** A ten-year-old poured sake into his and a seven-year-old Luffy's cups.

"From here on out, Luffy," Ace said as he and Luffy raised their cups, "you and I are brothers, forever!"

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed.

_Flashback end_

"I don't give a crap about your pirate rules!" Luffy shouted as he pushed a Marine out of his way.

"You stubborn little…!" Ace growled.

"Blizzard! Let's get going!" Luffy called to his dog.

**ARF!** Blizzard barked.

"GRAAAAAAAH~!" Luffy roared as he and Blizzard leapt into battle, once more.

"Wait a second!" a Marine shouted. "He's Ace little brother?!"

"Then does that mean that he's Roger's…?!" another Marine asked.

"That can't be! Ace's parents died long before Luffy was born! There's no way that he and Ace are blood brothers!"

"Go, my zombies!" Moria ordered.

The zombies moaned as they began to march forward, but then, **SPLASH! GLUB-GLUB! GURGLE!** A huge current of water appeared, soaking the zombies, and once the water diminished, **BLOOP!** The shadows that gave the zombies life came floating out of their mouths.

"WHAT~?!" Moria questioned.

"As I recall," said Jimbei, "your zombies are vulnerable to salt. Isn't that right, Moria?"

"Jimbei!" Luffy called.

"**What are you doing?!"** Sengoku questioned, talking into a Mini Transponder Snail. **"Don't let a lone rookie and his dog take control of the battlefield!"**

"Out of the way!" boomed a giant. "I'll crush them like a couple of bugs!"

**KRASH! SHWAK! WHAM!** The giant began to swing his spiked club at Luffy and Blizzard, who quickly dodged their attacks.

"**That young man is a dangerous future element!"** Sengoku continued. **"He and Ace grew up together when they were children, so they're like brothers! As for Luffy's bloodline…he is the son of the Revolutionary Dragon!"**

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

"Gear…THIRD!"

**WOOSH!** Luffy blew air in his bones, causing his arm to increase in size.

"He's Dragon's son?!" questioned the Marines.

"WHAT?!" Buggy yelled.

"He…he said it…!" Helmeppo said, as if he didn't get over the shock that Luffy is Dragon's son.

"Luffy…!" Coby said.

Moria also seemed shocked by this news.

"Humph," Mihawk scoffed. "Nothing would surprise me at this point."

_Luffy,_ Hancock thought. _Even if you are the spawn of a demon…I will always…_

Kuma said nothing.

"HAHA!" Doflamingo laughed. "So that explains how he was able to recruit Ivankov of the Revolutionary Army! It all makes sense!"

"So that's it," Jimbei said.

"That explains what happened back in Loguetown," said Smoker.

"Did you hear what he just said?!" shouted one of the Whitebeard Pirates.

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone witnessing the war is also shocked at this news."

"Did he say 'Dragon'?!"

"As in THE Dragon?!"

"Impossible!"

"**HQ! HQ! This is from Sabaody Archipelago!"** shouted a reporter from the press, speaking into a Mini Transponder Snail. **"Get ready to broadcast this to the whole entire world!"**

XXX

Back at Marineford, Garp heaved yet another sigh.

"It doesn't matter, anymore," said Garp. "There's no point in keeping it secret. Luffy has already become a notorious outlaw. This news wouldn't make much of a difference, now."

"GRAAAAAAAAH!" the giant roared as he prepared to strike Luffy with his club.

"Gum…GUUUUUM…"

**SHWOO!** Luffy began to twist his enlarged arm.

"GIANT RIFLE~!"

**THWAAAM! KRASH!** Luffy punched the giant, head on, sending him crashing down to the ground.

"Whoa!" the pirates cried, grinning at Luffy's display of strength.

_Way to go, Luffy!_ Blizzard cheered, mentally.

"ACE!" Luffy called. "YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANNA SAY! I'M GONNA SAVE YOU, EVEN IF IT FREAKING KILLS ME~!"

Ace just gasped with wide eyes, while Whitebeard seemed to grin.

"Marco," he said. "Whatever you do…don't let that boy and his dog die."

"Wouldn't dream of letting that happen, Pops," Marco replied.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Man...it's really late down where I live. I should really be asleep, by now.

Review, please!


	10. Of Sacrifice and Loyalty

**Ch. 10- Of Sacrifice and Loyalty**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Please note that this, followed by chapters 11 and 12, will be filler chapters involving my OC, Blizzard. If you don't like, then don't read.

* * *

Ace sat on his knees on the scaffold, his eyes concealing his hair.

"_ACE! YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER THE HELL YOU WANNA SAY! I'M GONNA SAVE YOU, EVEN IF IT FREAKING KILLS ME!"_

**Thump!** Ace bowed his head all the way down to the point where his head touched the scaffold.

"_Anyone who dares to lay a hand on one of our own has to suffer the consequences!"_

"_Just sit there and wait for us! We're coming for you, Ace!"_

Ace sighed and sat up, again.

"What now, Ace?" asked Garp.

"I don't care what the future holds for me," said Ace. "I accept it. I reach out to the hands that offers me help…and I accept the blade that would execute me. I won't fight it anymore. I'm sorry, everyone…especially you…Luffy."

Garp and Sengoku just stood in silence.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The Marines continued to fire their cannons at them, but still, Luffy, Blizzard, Jimbei, and Ivankov continued to fight on.

"Gum Gum BAZOOKA!"

**BAM!** Luffy struck a Marine officer with a powerful double-fisted punch.

_Bullet FANG!_

**BANG! WHOOSH!** Blizzard charged at his enemies at full speed, making the sound of a gunshot as he did, and made a fast bite, causing whoever he hit to fall with gashes in their side.

"Blizzard! Come on!" Luffy called as he continued to run to the plaza.

_Hey! Hang on! Wait for me!_ Blizzard thought as he ran after Luffy. However, his sensitive ears picked up the sound of voices not too far away.

"Archers! Get ready!"

_Archers?_ Blizzard thought before he looked up at a nearby wall and saw a Marine Vice-Admiral standing on it, as well as all these other Marines, armed with bows and arrows.

"Ready!" the Vice-Admiral shouted. "Aim!"

**KREEEEK!** The archers pulled the arrows back.

At first, Blizzard didn't think they were going to be much a problem. He could easily outrun some arrows, but then, he realized something.

_Those archers,_ he thought. _They're not aiming at me…they're aiming at…_

Blizzard gasped and looked ahead to see Luffy, still running on without him. He didn't even notice the archers!

"FIRE!" the Vice-Admiral ordered.

**WHOOSH!** The archers knocked their arrows from their bows…straight at an unknowing Luffy!

_LUFFY!_ Blizzard thought. _LOOK OUT!_

Without a second thought, Blizzard sped forward, trying to catch up with the Straw Hat captain. **WHUP!** He jumped into the line of fire, just when Luffy had finally noticed the array of arrows. **SHUNK! SHUNK! SHUNK! SHUNK! SHUNK! SHUNK!** Six arrows made their mark; their heads have become imbedded…in Blizzard's back.

"No…" Luffy muttered. "NO~!"

**FWUMP!** Blizzard fell to the ground in a heap.

"BLIZZARD!" Luffy cried before he ran to his dog's aid.

Ivankov looked up at the Marines standing on the wall, about to shoot some more arrows.

"Why vyou!" Ivankov shouted. "Death WINK!"

**ZHEEN! BOOM! KRASH!** Ivankov's wink blasted the entire wall, causing the Marines to fall.

"Damn Marines," he seethed.

"Blizzard, are you okay?" Luffy asked as he knelt down and held his dog's head in his hands. "Oh, come on, buddy! Hang in there!"

Blizzard whimpered as he weakly blinked his eyes at Luffy, who began to tear up.

_Hey, come on, Luffy,_ Blizzard thought. _It's okay. I've been through worse. Remember Cerberus, back on_ Thriller Bark_? If I can take him on, then this should be easy…!_

**KOFF!** Blizzard coughed a bit of blood.

"HELP~!" Luffy cried. "SOMEBODY, PLEASE HELP MY DOG~!"

"Hey!"

Luffy turned and saw a man approach him. Judging by his attire, Luffy assumed that he is one of the Whitebeard Pirates. Plus, he had on a white coat, so he must also be a doctor.

"Are you okay?" asked the pirate. "I'm a doctor. I can help."

"Oh, thank god!" Luffy said as he stood up with Blizzard in his arms. "Can you please help my dog?"

"Well, I've had some experience with Pops' dog," said the doctor, "but-"

Before he could say anything else, Luffy had practically Blizzard into his arms.

"Take care of him, please!" he told him. "He's a good dog!" He then looked at Blizzard and gently pet him on the head.

"It's gonna be okay, Blizzard," Luffy said. "You get plenty of rest, okay? I can take it from here. I'll save Ace and I'll come back for you. I promise."

With that, Luffy turned and ran off, and at that moment, Blizzard had a sudden rush of adrenaline.

"Okay, pooch," said the doctor as he prepared to carry Blizzard back to the _Moby Dick_. "Let's see if we can't get those nasty arrows outta your back. If we don't do something, quick, the arrowheads could cause your bloodstream to get infected, and we wouldn't want that, now would we?"

All of a sudden, Blizzard to wriggle around in the doctor's arms, struggling to get out of his grasp.

"Whoa, whoa!" the doctor said. "Take it easy, now! You're gonna make those injuries worse!"

**THWAK!** Blizzard kicked his back paw into the doctor's face, forcing him to let go, and once the wolf-dog hit the ground, he ran off…in the direction that Luffy ran off to.

"Wait!" the doctor called after Blizzard. "Come back here! You're too injured!"

Blizzard was already long gone.

"Why would he do that?" the doctor questioned himself.

Meanwhile, Luffy is still running to Ace's rescue, when suddenly, three Marines jumped out at him, armed with cutlasses.

"Die, Straw Hat!" shouted one of them.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "Gum Gum GATLING!"

**BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP!** Luffy unleashed a flurry of punches at the Marines, hitting them before they could attack. However, he didn't notice that another Marine is sneaking up behind him, armed with a katana, until he made a battle cry. Just as Luffy turned to face him.

**POW!** A white blur appeared and struck the Marine in the face, causing him to fall.

Luffy gasped in shock to see Blizzard, standing beside the unconscious Marine.

"Blizzard?!" Luffy questioned. "W-what are you doing here?! You're supposed to be with that doctor!"

Blizzard just stood there.

"Go back, Blizzard!" Luffy shouted, pointing in the direction from whence he came. "Go back! BACK! Don't you understand?!"

Blizzard still stood in his place, which confused Luffy even more.

"Why won't you listen to me?!" the teen asked Blizzard, who stepped toward, who stepped back. "Blizzard…you…"

Just then, Luffy turned and bolted, and Blizzard followed after him.

"YOU STUPID DOG!" he shouted.

Even after he heard Luffy say that, Blizzard still ran after him. Why?

A simple case of a dog's loyalty to his master.

Blizzard was willing to do anything for Luffy…but letting him go headlong into danger is not one of them. He made that clear too many times to count. Luffy just couldn't see it. To him, Blizzard was putting too much at risk, already. He already had those arrows stuck in his back. What else did he have to lose?

Meanwhile, back on the _Moby Dick_, Whitebeard watched with that toothy grin still on his face.

"GURARARARA…." he laughed. "Now, there's a dog with some vigor in him." He looked down at Stefan. "He sort of reminds me of you when you were a pup, Stefan."

_I have no idea what you're talking about, Edward,_ Stefan thought with a smirk.

"GURARARARARA~!" Whitebeard laughed, again. "Come on. Quit it with that tough guy look! You know what I mean."

Stefan looked up at Whitebeard.

"Remember?" Whitebeard asked as an image of a limping Stefan came to his mind. "We fought in that huge battle together, for three days straight, and those pirates were gonna try and pull a fast one on me by shooting me while my back was turned, and then you showed up outta nowhere and took a bazooka shot to the side for me. Even after I wanted you to go back to the ship so the doctor could get a look at you, but you stuck by me, anyway, even after I called you a dumb dog."

Stefan seemed to snicker.

"You may think you've forgotten all about that day," Whitebeard started, "but I'll always remember the times when you were willing to sacrifice everything you had…even your own life, for me…just like I would do for you." He then looked out to the battlefield. "And that's exactly what that dog out there is doing for that boy. Even after he got skewered in the back by all those arrows, he's willing to follow his master wherever he goes…just to protect him."

Stefan continued to watch the battlefield, sitting right by Whitebeard.

_That pup and I…are nothing alike,_ he thought to himself.

Back on the battlefield, Blizzard still continued to follow Luffy, who had decided to give up on trying to shake him off and decided to focus on getting to Ace. Still, Luffy was a bit angry at his own dog for not listening to him, but if Luffy were to stop and think that maybe if put himself in Blizzard's shoes (well…paws, in Blizzard's case), then he'd realize that Blizzard was doing the same that Luffy would do: trying to protect him…because he was loyal, too.

Of course, Luffy never really was a "stop-and-think" kind of guy.

_Luffy,_ Blizzard thought as he kept following after Luffy. _I'm sorry for disobeying you, but…for god's sake, you should know why I'm doing this! I just…I just can't afford to lose you! Not like how I lost my last master!_

**PLIP!** A small tear formed in Blizzard's eye, but he quickly shook it away.

_When I joined you, Luffy,_ Blizzard thought, _I made an oath! I promised myself that I would never let anything happen to you! Even if it means I have to give up my own life, then so be it!_

But meanwhile, not too far way, someone else had been watching the two Straw Hats.

It was Ken.

_Straw Hat,_ the Husky/wolf mix thought. _And my older brother, too. How nice._

"_TROOPS!"_ Ken barked to his unit, who gathered at his command. _"Forget the Whitebeard Pirates, for now! We have bigger fish to fry!"_

"_Who, sir?"_ asked a red Viszla.

Ken turned away and grinned.

"'_Straw Hat' Luffy,"_ he answered.

The troop gasped in shock, and then glanced at each other, while Ken seemed to chuckle sinisterly.

As Luffy and Blizzard kept running through the battlefield, yet another Marine got in their way. He raised his spiked ball mace with a roar.

**WHUP! CHOMP!** Blizzard leapt up in bit the Marine in the face.

"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" the Marine cried, dropping his mace. "HELP! GET HIM OFF! GET HIM OFF~!"

**GRR~!** Blizzard growled as his teeth sank deeper into his face.

Luffy continued to run, but he wasn't too worried about his dog. Even though he had arrows stuck in his back, he proved that he could still hold his own in a fight.

However, as Luffy continued to run, he suddenly heard what sounded vicious growling, followed by the frenzied barks of dogs. Looking back, he saw that it was Ken and the rest of the Marine K9 1st Unit, advancing towards him.

"Oh, jeez!" Luffy cried. "It's Blizzard's crazy brother!"

Ace watched from his place on the execution scaffold.

"RUN, LUFFY!" he shouted. "RUUUUUUUUUN!"

Luffy did just that, but the dogs quickly gave chase after him, barking menacingly at him.

**SNAP! SNAP!** Shiyu and a Rough Collie snapped at Luffy's heels.

"Dammit all!" Luffy cursed, again. "I don't have time for this! Gum GUUUUUM…WHIP!"

**SWISH!** Luffy swung his outstretched leg at the dogs. He only managed to hit Crystal, but Ken and the rest managed to dodge.

**CHOMP!** Shiyu bit down on Luffy's foot.

"AGH!" Luffy cried out in pain.

**CHOMP!** Ken leapt up and bit down hard on Luffy's shoulder, causing him to yell out in pain, even more.

"LET GO OF ME!" Luffy shouted. "GET OFF ME, YOU DAMN DOGS!"

**THUD!** Luffy fell to the ground, trying to fight the dogs off, but as he did, he notice Ken circling around behind him.

_At last,_ Ken thought. _My moment of glory!_

Just when Ken was about to lunge at Luffy and land the finishing blow, **BAM!** Something crashed into Ken with sharp teeth clamped into his neck, but not too deep.

"Blizzard!" Luffy cried.

Blizzard lifted Ken off the ground, and then threw him into a chunk of rubble. **THWAM!**

"_Commanding Officer Ken!"_ the dogs cried in their own language.

Ken staggered to his paws, and then turned to look at Blizzard, who shot him a death glare.

"_Ken…"_ Blizzard said to his little brother. _"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!"_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	11. Brother vs Brother

**Ch. 11- Brother vs. Brother**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Blizzard and Ken stood face-to-face, glaring at each other, and growling viciously. Luffy and the rest of the dogs stared on at the confrontation. Suddenly, Blizzard turned to look at Luffy and barked.

Luffy gasped, and then looked back at the scaffold. Then he turned to Blizzard with a serious face.

"Okay, buddy!" he said. "You take care of these guys, and I'll go and rescue Ace! Just try not to get yourself killed, okay?

Blizzard nodded.

_Don't worry about me!_ he thought. _As soon as I'm done with Ken, I'll catch up with you! Now, hurry! Go and save Fire Fist before it's too late!_

With that, Luffy ran on ahead, leaving Blizzard to face his brother and his troop alone.

"_Ken,"_ Blizzard said. _"I can't believe you. How dare you go back on your promise?!"_

"_My…promise?"_ Ken asked.

"_Don't you play dumb with me!"_ Blizzard barked. _"You know you remember! Back at our duel! I won, so that meant that you had to leave Luffy, as well as the rest of the Straw Hats, alone! So why did you go after him, again?!"_

Ken inhaled, then exhaled.

"_I never intended to honor such an agreement,"_ he said.

"_What?!"_ Blizzard questioned.

"_As a pirate, you should know better than to make a deal with me, a Marine, Blizzard,"_ Ken said. _"As a Marine, it is my duty to bring down any pirate I see, no matter what!"_

**GRRRR~!** Blizzard growled and snarled at his brother.

"_You…you son of a bitch!"_ Blizzard barked. _"You're gonna pay for this!"_

"_And just what do you have in mind?"_ Ken asked.

"…_another duel,"_ Blizzard replied. _"Just you and me. Do you accept?"_

A pause.

"_Fine,"_ Ken said before he turned to his troop. _"The rest of you, keep pursuing Straw Hat! His foot is injured, so he can't get far!"_

"_Yes, sir!"_ the dogs said before they prepared to run after Luffy.

"_Oh, no, you don't!"_ Blizzard yelled at them.

**ZHEEN!** A powerful aura emanated from Blizzard, and before long, all of the dogs in Ken's troop except Ken himself fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth.

Ken's eyes went wide.

"_Haki?"_ he questioned before he turned to Blizzard. _"Well…Mother always did say you were special."_

"_Shut up, Ken!"_ Blizzard yelled. _"This time…this won't be just any duel. It'll be a duel…to the death! The one who loses…dies."_

Another pause came.

"_Very well,"_ Ken said. _"This time…we'll end this rivalry, once for all!"_

**GRRRRRR~!** The brothers growled viciously at each other, and then, they lunged at each other, biting down on each other's throats. They ended up tumbling in midair, and then, **THUD!** They fell to the ground, with Blizzard on top of Ken, his jaws still on his brother's throat.

**THWAK!** Ken kicked Blizzard in the stomach, forcing him to let go. **SKISSSH!** Blizzard slid back, but managed to stay on his feet before he and Ken started to circle each other, still growling.

**WHOOSH!** Ken lunged at Blizzard, who stood up on his hind legs and **BAP!** He punched Ken in the face with his paw. A large amount of blood came splattering out of his mouth and nose.

Ken fell down to all fours, shaking his head, before he looked up at Blizzard.

"_X-FANG!"_

**WHOOOSH!** Blizzard made an X-shaped air-compressed bite, which Ken dodged. The bite instead managed to hit a nearby iceberg. **KROOSH!**

Ken then turned to look at his brother, who charged at him.

**BAM!** The two brothers ended up butting heads with each other, literally.

As they continued to fight, they shortly let their minds go back to the time when they were puppies.

_Flashback; 3 years, 10 months, and 7 weeks ago_

On a farm on Coral Island, two puppies were play-fighting, separately.

"_Ha!"_ laughed a 7-week-old Blizzard as he pinned a 7-week-old Ken, who was bigger than he is, down on the ground. _"Looks like I'm the winner, again, huh, Ken?"_

"_Yeah,"_ Ken said. _"Even though you're smaller than me and the rest of our brothers and sisters, you're still the strongest out of all of us. I don't think I'll ever be as strong as you, Blizzard."_

"_That's not true, Ken,"_ Blizzard said. _"Once you grow up, you'll be as strong as me!"_

"_You think so?"_ Ken asked.

"_I know so!"_ Blizzard answered with a grin.

_Flashback end_

**GRROOOOOWWRR!** Blizzard growled before he bit down hard on Ken's right ear. **SHLAK!** He tore it right off.

**YIIIIIPE!** Ken yowled in pain as blood came spraying out of the remainder of his ear.

**P'TOO!** Blizzard spat out Ken's ear and charged at him, once more.

**SLASH!** Ken seemed to foresee his brother's charge, for he slashed Blizzard in the nose with his claws, slicing Blizzard along the left side of his nose.

**YOWL!** Blizzard yelped in surprise and pain.

"_AGH! DAMN YOU!"_ he cursed at Ken.

"_So, what do you think, Blizzard?"_ Ken asked. _"Have I gotten stronger?"_

"…_no,"_ Blizzard answered. _"You're still as weak as I remember you!"_

**GRR~!** Ken growled, infuriated at his brother's answer.

"_I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S WEAK!"_ he barked before he leapt up into the air.

Blizzard eyed his brother from the ground and grunted.

_So predictable,_ he thought.

**WHUP! CHOMP! GACK!** Blizzard leapt up, as well, and bit down on Ken's neck, making him gag.

"_Fang PILEDRIVE!"_

**WHOOSH! KRASH!** Blizzard took a spinning dive, taking Ken with him, before they both crashed into the ground.

Blizzard staggered away from Ken, who lied on the ground, bloody and bruised. The white wolf-dog stood there, for a minute, watching his brother, but when he didn't make a movement, he sighed.

"_I had a feeling this wouldn't last long,"_ he said. _"I gotta admit, you put up a good fight, Ken…but not good enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a certain rubber-man I have to catch up with. Hopefully, he hasn't ended up being skewered by a Marine's sword, by now."_

With that, Blizzard prepared to run off and catch up to Luffy, but then, **CHOMP!** He felt a set of jaws bite down on his tail, stopping him in his tracks. Turning around, he saw that it is Ken.

"_What the…?!"_ Blizzard questioned.

"_I'm not done, yet,"_ Ken said with a smirk.

**FWIP!** He threw Blizzard towards a piece of rubble, but Blizzard caught himself and landed on his feet.

"_Try and pull a fast one on me, huh?!"_ he shouted as he raised his front paw. _"I'll show you!"_

**SLASH!** Blizzard brought his paw down on Ken's left eye, leaving four long bloody gashes.

"_AAAAAAAUUGH!"_ Ken screamed. _"MY EYE! YOU SCRATCHED OUT MY EYE~!"_

"_Oh, trust me,"_ Blizzard said. _"I'll do MORE than THAT!"_

**GRRAAAAAAAWWRR!** Ken growled before he lunged at Blizzard and tackled him in the side, hit one of the arrows in his back.

**YIPE!** Blizzard yelped at the pain before he bit down on Ken's leg and threw him down against the ground.

Once again, the two wolf-dogs attacked each other, lashing out savagely at one another, leaving bloody bite marks and scratches on each other's body.

"_Bullet FANG!"_

**KABANG! CHOMP!** Blizzard ran at full speed and bit down hard on Ken's left hind leg. **KRAACK!** A sickening crack went out, followed by a yowl of agony.

"_MY LEG!"_ Ken cried.

Blizzard smirked.

"_Let's finish this, now,"_ he said.

**THWAK!** He kicked Ken in the jaw, sending him flying several feet away.

Ken panted heavily as his injuries finally began to take his toll. **THOMP!** He felt a great weight on his neck, and when he looked up, he saw Blizzard, a paw pressed against his throat and a snarl creased across his maw.

"_Well…this is it,"_ Blizzard said. _"Goodbye…Ken."_

Ken stared at his older brother, right eye wide and mouth agape, but then, he heaved a silent sigh and laid his head back down on the cold, hard ground. Blizzard opened his mouth, preparing to deliver the finishing blow, but then…he froze. He just froze.

At that moment, another memory of his childhood came to him.

_Flashback; 3 years, 9 months, and 6 weeks ago_

Blizzard and Ken sat beside each other, staring out at the sun, which is setting behind the sea.

"_Hey, Blizzard?"_ asked Ken. _"What do you want to do when you grow up?"_

"_That's easy!"_ Blizzard answered. _"I wanna go out and sail on the ocean! See the world and what it has to offer!"_

Ken seemed to laugh.

"_Funny,"_ he said. _"I was thinking the same thing."_

"_Maybe…I'll be a pirate, someday!"_ Blizzard said. _"Yeah! A pirate who has many adventures, here in the Grand Line! Who knows? Maybe I might find this treasure that all those other pirates are looking for!"_

"_Good luck,"_ Ken said, albeit with a bit of a sarcastic tone.

A pause.

"_Blizzard?"_

"_Yeah, Ken?"_

"_I know this is gonna sound random, but…what if…no, forget it."_

"_What? C'mon! Spit it out, already!"_

Ken sighed before he turned to look at Blizzard.

"_What if something terrible happened between us?"_ asked Ken. _"Like…like we became worst enemies?"_

Another pause.

"_That…that sounds terrible,"_ Blizzard answered. _"I couldn't imagine you and me being enemies."_

"_Me, too,"_ Ken answered. _"The thought of it scares me."_

"_Well, there's a pretty good chance it's not gonna happen,"_ Blizzard said. _"I mean, come on! You and me being enemies! Ridiculous! You and I are brothers, and brothers never become enemies!"_

"_Yeah,"_ Ken agreed. _"You're right. We'll never be enemies!"_

_Flashback end_

Blizzard stared down at his younger brother, and heaved a sigh before he removed his paw from Ken's neck.

"_I…I yield,"_ he said.

Ken opened his eye and looked up at Blizzard.

"_What?"_ he asked.

"_I said 'I yield',"_ Blizzard said. _"Ken…I can't kill you. Even if you are my enemy…you are still my little brother. I'm sorry."_

Ken stood up on his three good legs and stared at Blizzard, seemingly concerned.

**CHOMP! ACK!** Ken suddenly bites down on Blizzard's throat, causing him to gag. Just then, he started to trash Blizzard around on the ground, smashing his head against the ground, throwing him into the air, and then throwing him down on the ground again, until he finally let Blizzard go.

**Huff…huff…!** Blizzard panted heavily, surprised at the brutal beating his brother had given him. **THOMP!** Ken shoved his front paw into his throat, pinning him to the ground.

"_K…Ken…!"_ Blizzard thought. _"W-what are you doing?!"_

"_Sorry, 'brother',"_ Ken said, _"but I don't give mercy to pirates. You should've known better than to show me mercy."_

Blizzard growled at Ken, but then, he stopped and heaved a sigh. Then, he laid his head down on the ground and shut his eyes.

Ken opened his eyes, preparing to deliver the finishing blow, but then, he suddenly froze, as well. He made what sounded like a gagging noise. Then, all of a sudden…it happened.

**KO-HOFF!** Ken coughed up a huge amount of blood.

Blizzard gasped in shock and horror as he watched his brother continue to cough up blood.

**FWUMP!** Ken fell down on side, right on his broken leg.

"_KEN!"_ Blizzard cried before he ran to his side. _"Ken?! Are you okay?! What's wrong?!"_

"_I…I should've known,"_ Ken said. _"My…my illness…has overtaken me."_

Blizzard gasped silently in horror.

"_You're…you're sick?"_ he asked.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry it's short.

Review, please!


	12. To Die Like A Dog

**Ch. 12- To Die Like A Dog**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Luffy panted as he kept running through the battlefield, trying his best to ignore the pain in his foot.

"That damn Retriever!" Luffy cursed. "Next time I see him, I'll punch him so hard in the jaw, all his teeth will fall out!"

"Stop right there, Straw Hat!"

Luffy looked up and saw another Marine about to hit with a pair of spiked brass knuckles.

"Crap!" he cursed. "How many times do I have to keep saying I don't have time to deal with you guys?!"

**THWAK!** Luffy kicked the Marine in the gut before he continued on.

Just then, another Marine jumped out of a cloud of smoke beside Luffy, surprising him.

"RAAAAH!" he roared as he raised his cutlass.

Luffy raised his fist, prepared to punch him in the face and keep going, but then, **THWAM!** A white blur appeared and slammed into the Marine from the side, blindsiding him. As the Marine fell, the blur reveals itself to be Blizzard…with a large amount of blood around his mouth and neck.

"Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed with a smile on his face before he knelt down and pulled his beloved dog into an embrace. "Thank god! I was starting to think something bad happened to you!" He pulled away from Blizzard. "You okay? Where'd all this blood come from? And furthermore, what happened to your brother?"

Blizzard seemed to be silent. Not even a thought crossed his mind.

Suddenly, Luffy noticed something: the fur underneath Blizzard's eyes seemed darker than normal, and they appeared to be wet, too. At that moment, the Straw Hat captain realized something.

"Have…have you been crying, buddy?" asked Luffy.

Blizzard turned away from Luffy, his eyes hooded, but then, he looked back up at the execution scaffold where Ace is sitting. Luffy followed his gaze and nodded swiftly.

"You're right, Blizzard," he said. "We're just wasting our time if we just stand here. We better get moving, and fast!"

Blizzard nodded in agreement before he and Luffy ran off, once more.

However, as they did, the former couldn't help but let his mind wander back in time, just not too long ago.

_Flashback; a short time ago_

Blizzard stood beside his little brother, who is now lying in a pool of his own blood.

"_Ken,"_ Blizzard said. _"You're sick? Since when?!"_

**KOFF! KOFF!** Ken coughed up some more blood.

"_I was diagnosed with a terminal illness…ever since I was a year old,"_ Ken answered his brother. _"You see…there are blood clots forming in my lungs, and it causes me to cough up blood. Over time…the clots grow bigger and bigger, and I grow weaker. Eventually, I'll start coughing up so much blood…that the loss will end up killing me."_

"_But…but you were fine when I last saw you!"_ Blizzard retorted. _"How can you be so frail, now?!"_

"_I had taken medicine that may not have cured my illness,"_ Ken began, _"but…it did help me withstand it."_

**KOFF! KOFF! KOHOFF!** Ken coughed up even more blood.

"_The doctor told my handler,"_ he continued, _"that I'd be lucky if I managed to live passed 8 years…but, now…I've pushed myself too far in this war. I can't fight my illness, any longer."_

"_Ken…what are you saying?"_ Blizzard asked.

"_Didn't you hear me the first time?"_ asked Ken. _"I'm dying, Blizzard! Oh…but…I'd rather die like a warrior."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You know how sometimes, when a dog dies, he's usually either injected with a type of needle or shot in the head when he's outlived his usefulness. But me? I don't want to die that way. Ever since I became a Marine, I swore that I would not die like a dog! I'd rather die in the line of duty than to die a regular dog's death!"_

Ken looked up at Blizzard, his breath becoming short and labored.

"_Blizzard…forgive me,"_ he said. _"I know that…__**KOFF!**__ We may be enemies, but…please…as my brother…I want you to do me…this one favor."_

Blizzard stares at Ken, anticipating.

"_Kill me,"_ Ken said. _"Kill me, Blizzard. Put me out of my misery!"_

Blizzard looked down at his brother in disbelief.

"_K…Ken…!"_ he said. _"I…I can't-"_

"_Please…"_ Ken said in barely a whisper.

Blizzard stared down at Ken, seeming hesitant, but then he heaved a sigh.

"_All right, Ken,"_ he said. _"I'll make it as quick as possible. Goodbye…forever."_

A slight pause, but then, **CHOMP!** Blizzard bit down hard on Ken's throat, delivering a crushing bite. Ken seemed to struggle for a moment, gagging and convulsing, but then, slowly, his movements ceased. Then, he closed his eyes, and a smile played upon his lips, and then…nothing.

Blizzard gently set Ken down on the ground, and then silently stared down at his limp, lifeless body, as the wind blew by, gently ruffling the wolf-dogs' coats.

Blizzard suddenly remembered something from his and Ken's childhood. At night, whenever they went to sleep, Blizzard would always lie his head down, right on top of Ken's back, and fall fast asleep to the rise and fall of his body as his little brother took a breath.

The white wolf-dog figured that doing the same thing now wouldn't make much a difference.

Blizzard lied down on Ken's body, just like how he used to when they were pups…but it wasn't the same.

**PLIP…PLIP-PLIP!** Tear droplets fell onto Ken's body as Blizzard began to silently mourn the death of his little brother.

Suddenly, Blizzard's ears twitched at the sound of groaning. He looked up and saw, to his surprise, that Ken's troop had begun to wake up.

_Dammit!_ Blizzard thought. _My Haki's wearing off on them, already?! Well…it's probably best if I left now, anyway. I gotta catch up to Luffy, and quick!_

With that, Blizzard ran off, following Luffy's scent, just as soon as the dogs had regained their senses. As they did, Shiyu was the first to notice the wolf-dog running away.

"_What the…?!"_ Shiyu questioned. _"White Wolf! Freeze!"_

Blizzard continued to run away.

_Wait…if he's running away,_ Shiyu thought, _then that means that…_

"_Oh, NO!"_

Shiyu turned around and saw Crystal…staring at Ken's body.

"_Commanding Officer Ken…"_ the female whispered before she turned to look at her commanding officer's best friend with teary eyes. _"He…he's dead…!"_

The whole troop gasped in shock.

"_White Wolf,"_ said the gray Bulldog. _"He must've killed him after he knocked us out with his Haki!"_

Shiyu stared at Ken's lifeless form, eyes wide and horrified.

"_Commanding Officer Ken…"_ he whispered as tears began to form in his eyes.

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ The Golden Retriever raised his head to the sky, letting out an anguished howl, and the rest of the dogs followed, not long after.

Not too far away, Blizzard could hear the sorrowful howls Ken's troop as he ran.

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ He soon let out a mournful howl of his own.

_Flashback end_

_Ken…I'm sorry,_ Blizzard thought. _Even if it was out of mercy…I never wanted to kill you. I just hope that you forgive me._

Suddenly, **SKREEEECH!** Luffy skid to a halt, causing Blizzard to bump into him on accident.

_Hey!_ Blizzard thought. _What the hell are you doing, Luffy?! We gotta move! Did you forget so soon that they're gonna kill Fire Fist?!_

A pause.

Just then, Luffy turned to look at Blizzard.

"Blizzard…" he said. "Your brother…he's dead, isn't he?"

Blizzard's eyes went wide.

_H…how did he…?!_ the wolf-dog thought.

"I heard dogs howling, earlier," Luffy said. "Plus…when I saw the blood on your mouth…I realized it wasn't yours. Blizzard…you killed him, didn't you?"

Another pause, but then, Blizzard's eyes started to well up with tears again.

At first, Blizzard began to think that Luffy would be disgusted with him for killing his kin, but then…he silently pulled his dog into an embrace, much to his shock.

"I'm sorry, Blizzard," said Luffy. "I know it must've been hard for you…but…it's probably for the best. If you didn't kill him…then he'd still come after me, and then I wouldn't be able to rescue Ace." He then gasped. "Ace!" He then turned back to the scaffold. "Oh, crap! What are we doing?! We gotta hurry!"

With that, Luffy ran off, with Blizzard following not too far behind.

_I may've lost my brother,_ Blizzard thought to himself, _but I won't let Luffy lose his!_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I am SO SORRY that this chapter is so short, but it's the best I could come up with.

Review, please!


	13. Destiny

**Ch. 13- Destiny**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last left our heroes, Blizzard was forced to kill his own brother, Marine K9 Commanding Officer Ken, after learning that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Luffy, believing that his Blizzard had killed Ken out of protection, comforts him before continuing on to rescue Ace.

Meanwhile, the Impel Down escapees watched the battle going on with irritation.

"This isn't fair!"

"Yeah! Straw Hat and his flea-bitten mutt are getting all the attention in this war!"

They all turned to Buggy.

"Cap'n Buggy! We gotta catch up!"

"Come on! Let's go and take Whitebeard's head!"

"All right, all right!" Buggy agreed. "We'll do it, already!"

_But this is one hell of a crazy battlefield,_ the clown pirate thought. _Both sides are packed with flashy famous fighters!_

"Hey! Red Nose!"

A stitch appears on Buggy's forehead.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING RED NOSE?!" he shouted, but he quickly shut his mouth when he saw who said it. "DAAH! W-Whitebeard?!"

Whitebeard stared down at Buggy from the masthead of the _Moby Dick_.

"I was wondering why you looked so familiar," said Whitebeard. "Long time, no see. So you're still alive, after all?"

_Oh, no!_ Buggy thought as tears fell from his eyes. _He's got on his eyes on me, now! I'm a flashily dead man! It's all over! I've gotta run!_

The escapees, meanwhile, stared at Buggy with sparkles in their eyes.

"Cap'n Buggy! Whitebeard spoke to you~!"

"Wow! We knew you were a big shot, but now, there's no doubt about it!"

"You truly are a living legend!"

Buggy's eyes bugged out of his skull as he made a snort of surprise.

_Are you kidding?!_ he thought. _You wouldn't be saying that, right now, if you were in my shoes!_

"You brought all those prisoners with you," said Whitebeard said. "You hear to take my head?"

"Y-yeah!" Buggy replied. "That's flashy right! Prepare yourself, Whitebeard!"

The prisoners cheered in agreement.

"You can take my head if you want," Whitebeard began "but…what will you do about the Marines, afterward? You can't handle all of them, by yourself, and neither can I. Stefan and I are having a really hard time, as of late."

Stefan heaved a sigh.

"So, what do you say?" asked Whitebeard. "We're both pirates, after all. Let's join forces and crush the Marines, together. After that, then you can take my head"

Buggy and the prisoners gasped in shock.

"WHOA~!"

"HOLY CRAP! DID YOU HEAR WHAT HE JUST SAID?!"

"Whitebeard spoke to Cap'n Buggy like he was his equal! What an honor!"

"Uh…yes! Of course!" Buggy agreed. "After all, I can be flashily scary when I'm serious!"

"Really?! Oh, man! I'm getting goose bumps, over here!" said one of the prisoners.

_I actually think I can do this, now,_ Buggy thought. _Yeah…yeah! I can do it! Oh, I can see it all now! Captain Buggy, King of the Pirates! That's me! HAHAHAHAHA!_

"Together, Whitebeard and I will leave the Marines groveling at our feet!" he said.

The escapees gasped.

"WAAAH! I CANNOT **BELIEVE** WHAT I AM HEARING!"

"I FEEL LIKE I'M ABOUT TO FAINT!"

"All right, Whitebeard! You've got a deal!" Buggy said, flashing a thumbs-up. "I'll make a temporary alliance with you!"

The prisoners cheered.

"Oh, YEAH~!"

"Who's the man who'll bring the Marines to their knees? Cap'n Buggy, that's who!"

On the _Moby Dick_, Marco stared down at Buggy in disbelief and embarrassment.

"Damn," he cursed. "He's so easy to manipulate."

"That red-nosed freak may be nothing,," Whitebeard said, "but some of his followers are some of the world's most powerful pirates. It'd sure be a pain in the ass if they started to attack us, now." He picked up a Mini Transponder Snail. "This is Whitebeard! Come in! Is Squard there?"

"**Reporting from the bayside! Captain Squard is…huh? Uh…I-I just saw him, not too long ago. I think he might've gone up ahead without us!"**

"Then come in, Decalvan Brothers," Whitebeard said.

"**What's up, Pops?"**

"**Pops, what's up?"**

"Follow my orders," Whitebeard said, "and take command of the pirates!"

"**In that case, I'll sail to starboard,"** said Bizarre, a pirate captain with a pair of metal jaws.

"**We'll sail to port!"** declared Islewan, a pirate with the facial features of a walrus.

"**Aye-aye,"** said Ramba, a tall, slim pirate with a robe reaching down to his feet.

"**I'll come in from the right,"** said the rotund pirate captain, Epoida.

"**Whatever you say, Pops,"** answered Blondie, a large, round man with a tiny pet lion sitting in his bicorn hat.

"**My ship can sail any which way,"** said Bay.

"**Is it true?"** asked Karma, the pirate who wears an octopus on his head. **"I don't see it!"**

"**I'll sail to portside,"** replied the royally-dressed pirate, Amadov.

At the scaffold, a Marine officer approached Sengoku.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir!" he said. "The New World pirates are on the move! They're splitting up!"

"Yes," Sengoku agreed. "They're forming up on either side."

It is revealed that the pirates had begun taking out the battleships on both sides of the bay.

"Hmm," Garp hummed. "Excellent foresight on your part. Did you figure out our plan, already, Whitebeard?"

"He didn't take the bait," said Sengoku. "I supposed my ruse was a bit clumsy. Still, intuition alone won't save him."

Ace just heaved a sigh and looked away.

Back down at the battlefield.

"RAAAAAAAAH!" Moria roared as he clutched a bunch of shadows in his hands. "Damn you, Jimbei! As long as you're here, I can't use my zombie soldiers without you purifying them! How annoying! Help me, shadows of the Marines!"

**SHWUP!** He shoved the shadows into his body, causing him to grow twice his normal size.

"KISHISHISHISHI!" Moria cackled and drew out his scissors, but they came apart, turning them into a pair of dual swords. "I'll have you shadow, too, Jimbei! You'll dwell in darkest depths of the ocean for the rest of your miserable life!"

"Luffy! Blizzard!" Jimbei called to them. "Keep moving!"

"Thanks, Jimbei!" Luffy said as he and Blizzard kept running with Ivankov following behind them.

Not too far away, the Marines are watching the battle between the two Warlords.

"Even if they aren't all here," said one of them, "the Seven Warlords of the Sea are a great asset to our side!"

"I know!" agreed another Marine. "It's almost a shame to see them fighting against one another! Why did Jimbei have to go and switch sides on us?!"

"KISHISHISHISHI!" laughed Moria. "Give me your shadow, Jimbei!"

**KLANK!** He throw one of his swords down at Jimbei, who died.

"Fishman Karate!" Jimbei exclaimed. "Sharkskin Palm Thrust! SHARK BRICK FIST!"

**WHAM!** He punched Moria in the gut, causing him to cough up blood.

Back with Luffy and Blizzard, they are still trying to reach Ace.

**SWASH!** Luffy was suddenly grazed in the cheek by a Marine cutlass.

"Whoa!" Luffy cried.

**BAM!** Blizzard tackled that Marine away.

**WHAM!** The two Straw Hats dodged a spiked ball-on-chain attack from another Marine.

"Straw Hat!" Tashigi gasped.

"Move out of the way, Tashigi!"

**BOOM!** A plume of smoke rocketed its way towards Luffy and Blizzard, armed with a jutte.

**THWAK!** Smoker appeared out of the smoke and hit smacked Luffy in the face with his jutte, sending him flying back.

_LUFFY!_ Blizzard thought.

"AGH!" Luffy cried in pain before he sat up, wiping the blood off his jaw. "Smokey! I forgot…his club…it's made of sea prism stone!"

"I'll be the one to execute you, Straw Hat," Smoker said as he approached Luffy.

**GRRRAAAAAWWWR!**

Blizzard lunged at Smoker with jaws wide open, but before he could bite down on the Marine Commodore, **POOF!** He went straight through his smoky body.

**SHRUFF!** Blizzard ended up skidding along the ground before he stood up in disbelief.

_What the-?!_ he thought. _But…but I was able to bite him, once before! How could I not bite him, now?!_

"Gum GUUUUUUM…JET GATLING!"

**WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!** Luffy, in Gear Second mode, punched Smoker multiple times, but it was all for naught, for his punches only went right through him.

"White LAUNCHER!"

**KABOOM!** Smoker launched himself into the air, right above Luffy.

"You're a lot stronger than the last time I met you, Smokey," said Luffy.

"So are you, Straw Hat," replied Smoker, who had appeared right beside the Straw Hat Captain, his jutte pointed directly at his face.

**WHAM!** He pinned Luffy down to the ground, his jutte jammed against his throat.

"Even so," said Smoker, "you still won't be able to beat me with your abilities!"

_LUFFY, NO!_ Blizzard cried out in thought.

"Now I know," Smoker began, "why Dragon saved you back in Loguetown that day, Straw Hat."

Luffy gasped and coughed.

"I…I can't breathe…!" he said. "I'm feeling weak…get offa me…!"

"RELEASE HIM!"

**SHWAK!** Smoker is kicked in the face by a familiar figure, forcing him to let go of Luffy.

"What the hell?!" Smoker shouted. "But how could you hit me?! I was made of smoke!" He looked up and saw that the figure is revealed to be Hancock.

"Hancock!" he cried as he stood up and accusingly pointed his jutte at the female Warlord. "Do you wanna be stripped of the title of Warlord, too?!"

"SILENCE!" Hancock barked. "I'm too furious to hear your mindless prattle! Just who do you think you are, attempting to strike down and capture the man I love?!"

"THE PIRATE EMPRESS SAVED STRAW HAT?!" the Marines and pirates cried, all at once.

Luffy kept coughing as Blizzard came to his side.

_Well, I gotta admit,_ thought Blizzard. _Hancock may be a little off her rocker, but if it weren't for her, Luffy would be dead!_

"This is inconceivable!" Hancock hissed, her voice thick with venom, and a snarl creasing her lips. "You shall be punished SEVERELY for this! I've been so infuriated in ALL MY ENTIRE LIFE! I'll tear you apart, limb-from-limb and feed you to the BEASTS!"

"…the Kuja Haki…!" Smoker whispered, feeling a bit uneasy due to her glare.

"Hancock!" Luffy cried.

"Yes~!" Hancock swooned, turning to Luffy with a faint pink blush on her cheeks.

_He spoke my name, again!_ she thought.

_And just like that, she's back to being creepy,_ Blizzard thought, sweat-dropping. _I mean, seriously, Nami is LUFFY'S girlfriend, and even she doesn't act like a giddy little schoolgirl!_

Meanwhile, not too far away, Ivankov found himself Kuma, and the King of Queens had taken quite the beating.

"Kuma!" Ivankov called to him. "Kuma! If vyou don't stop attacking me, I'll be forced to start fighting back, so cut it out! It's me! Ivankov! Do vyou not remember this face?!"

Ivankov suddenly hears the sound of snickering coming from the side of him.

"I don't know how you two are connected," said Doflamingo, sitting on a pile of pirates, "but save your breath…Revolutionary Officer Emporio Ivankov."

"What the hell are vyou saying?!" Ivankov questioned.

"Well, let me cut to the chase," Doflamingo answered as he jumped off the pile. "You think this guy is Bartholomew Kuma, right? Well, I've got some news you! The real Kuma 'the Tyrant'…" he flashed a sick, toothy grin, "…is long dead."

Ivankov's eyes widened in shock.

"W…what did vyou say?!" he asked.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update.

Review, please!


	14. Prisoners of Impel Down

**Ch. 14- Prisoners of Impel Down**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last left our heroes, Buggy and Whitebeard form a temporary "alliance", agreeing that after the Marines have been dealt with, the former could take the latter's head, unaware that the Emperor had been manipulating him, all along. Meanwhile, Luffy and Blizzard continue to fight their way through the battlefield, but run into Smoker along the way, but luckily, they are saved by Hancock. Ivankov and Kuma, two old friends from the Revolutionary Army, begin to butt heads, and according to Doflamingo, the latter is presumably dead!

Right now, Hancock stood before Luffy, holding a key in her hand.

"I knew that you'd return to me, alive," she whispered. "Here. Take this with you. It's the key to your brother's shackles."

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Oh…oh, my god!"

All of a sudden, he leaped up and **SWUMP!** He threw his arms around Hancock, who was so shocked, she couldn't even move. All she did was gasp as her cheeks flushed a bright crimson.

"Thank you, Hancock!" Luffy cried, gratefully.

_What the hell are you doing, man?!_ Blizzard thought. _Don't just GLOMP onto the lady, like that! Oh, man, if Nami ever saw this, she would have a freaking cow!_

"Seriously, Hancock!" Luffy said. "You're the best! I owe you, big time!"

"Y-yes," Hancock stammered, still blushing like mad. "It's all right, Luffy. Now, go! Hurry!"

"Oh, yeah!" said Luffy, eyes wide in realization. "Blizzard and I better get going!" He then let go of Hancock and proceeded to run with Blizzard not too far behind him.

"Thanks, again~!" Luffy called to her.

**FWUMP!** Hancock fell to her knees, a hand covering her face.

The Marines looked on in shock, anger, and disbelief.

"I-impossible!" said one of them. "Straw Hat defeated Lady Hancock, effortlessly!"

"A bear hug! It has to be!" said another. "Straw Hat used a bear hug to render Hancock powerless!"

Hancock panted as she attempted to stand on her feet with Salome at her side.

_I did not expect such a big hug!_ she thought. _Can it be…? Is…is this that thing that I've heard so much about from the Kuja warriors? Can this be…marriage?!_

"You won't get away from me, Straw Hat and White Wolf!"

Hancock turned and saw Smoker attempting to go after Luffy and Blizzard, once more.

"Perfume FEMUR!"

**KLANG!** Hancock's leg struck Smoker's jutte. Normally, a sea prism stone would cancel out her Devil Fruit powers, but Hancock's kick was so powerful, it caused the jutte to turn into just regular stone and break in half in Smoker's hands.

"You INSOLENT FOOL!" Hancock barked as she stood up and gave Smoker her "looking down" pose. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

"Look! Look at that!" a Marine exclaimed. "Look at the way she's looking down on him!"

"She's looking so far down, that she's looking up!" said another.

"You bitch," Smoker hissed. "Don't you remember what'll happen if you defy the orders of the World Government?"

"Anything I do will be forgiven," said Hancock.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Blizzard are still running through the battlefield, the former looking at the key in his hand.

"Blizzard," he said to his canine friend. "Listen. This is the third time that Hancock has helped us! We gotta find some way to make it up to her!"

_Are you kidding me?!_ Blizzard thought. _If you ask me, I've think you've done enough, already! Man, I am so glad that Nami's not here right now, because if she were, she'd give you hell!_

At that moment, the two Straw Hat Pirates had run up beside Ivankov, who is standing in front of Kuma.

"Kuma?" Ivankov questioned. "Dead?! That's nonsense! He's standing right here in front of me!"

Luffy and Blizzard stopped in their tracks upon seeing Kuma.

"Blizzard, look!" Luffy cried. "It's the guy who looks like Kuma!" He then turned to Ivankov.

_No,_ Blizzard thought. _That IS Kuma! I recognize his scent!_

"Iva…you know this guy?" Luffy asked

"Yes, I do!" Ivankov replied. "But there's something wrong about him!"

Doflamingo chuckled as he approached.

"It appears all three of you knew Kuma well," he said. "However, he's not the Kuma you know, anymore.?

Blizzard gasped.

_Donquixote Doflamingo!_ he thought._ He's here, too?! Wait…what did he mean by he's not the Kuma we know?_

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Luffy asked Doflamingo.

"That's impossible!" Ivankov shouted. "He definitely has the abilities of the Paw-Paw Fruit! I'm absolutely that this is Kuma!" He then looked back at Kuma.

"Kuma! I know it's vyou!" he called to him, once more. "Please! Say something! Anything! At least tell me vyou remember me!"

"It's no use talking to him!" Doflamingo said. "He can't hear you, no matter how hard you try! You see, the other day, the World Government's top scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, had made the final modification that turned Kuma into a fully weaponized human! To put it simply…he's not Bartholomew Kuma, anymore!"

"Modification?" Ivankov repeated. "Weaponized?! What in the hell are vyou talking about?!"

"Kuma volunteered to be a guinea pig for the Government's human weapons research project. First, his arms were weaponized, and then his legs. He was still conscious up to that point. Every part of his body was modified, piece by piece, over time!"

"DON'T VYOU LIE TO ME, VYOU BASTARD!" Ivankov snapped. "Kuma can't stand the World Government! He would never sacrifice himself for its benefit!"

"Hey, yell at me all you want," Doflamingo said, "but there's no point. I don't what kind of deal he struck with the World Government, but he still self-aware until a few days ago!"

**ZHEEN!** Kuma opened his mouth, revealing a flashing light.

_Oh, no…_ Blizzard thought. _Not that!_

"But now, Kuma doesn't even remember being human!" Doflamingo continued. "He's practically a living corpse, and we're not talking zombies, here! He's just a human-weapon monster that takes orders from no one but the World Government! He is now Pacifista PX-0!"

**SHEEN!** Kuma fired his laser at Luffy, Blizzard, and Ivankov.

"Forget about what happened in the past between you two!" Doflamingo yelled.

Ivankov gasped in horror.

"LOOK OUT!" Luffy shouted.

_HIT THE DECK!_ Blizzard thought.

**BABOOM!** Kuma's laser exploded, but luckily, the three managed to dodge it, but just barely.

"Oh, man," Luffy said. "That was way too close!"

Blizzard grunted as he stood up, for he had accidentally landed on one of the arrows in his back.

Ivankov stood to his feet and looked at Kuma in anger.

"Kuma…" he said. "What happened to vyou these last few years?!"

Luffy suddenly remembered the last words that Kuma told him back at the Sabaody Archipelago on the day when he sent the other Straw Hats flying.

"_We'll never see each other…farewell."_

"He did say that, didn't he?" Luffy questioned.

Suddenly, Kuma disappeared and then reappeared behind a group of New Kamas.

"Oh, no!" Ivankov cried.

"Guys!" Luffy called. "WATCH YOUR BUTTS!"

_Too late!_ Blizzard yelled in his head.

"Pad Cannon."

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** Kuma thrust his arms at a fast pace, sending shockwaves that pierced the New Kamas, sending them flying passed Ivankov, who stared in anger.

"DAMN VYOU, KUMA!" he shouted. "WHO THE HELL DO VYOU THINK YOU ARE?! Face SPECTRUM!"

**WIP! WIP! WIP!** Ivankov starts moving his head around at a fast pace, making it appear as if he had more than one, like Luffy's Gum-Gum Gatling.

Kuma stared at Ivankov, trying to find a vulnerable spot, but he was moving so fast, his visual sensors couldn't keep up.

"Galaxy WINK!"

**ZHEEN! BAM! BAM! KRASH!** Ivankov winked at Kuma, much like a Death Wink, only this time, this variation had been multiplied, as if his several heads are winking all at once, much like a Gatling gun.

"WAHOO~!" Ivankov cried.

"How dare vyou hurt my precious little candy boys!" Ivankov shouted. "If that's the way it's going to be, then don't expect me to hold back, anymore!"

**KRAAASSH!** He kicked Kuma away.

"Wow!" the New Kamas cried. "He's so powerful!"

"This is the first time in my entire life," Ivankov began, "that anyone has ever forgotten this face of mine!"

_Yeah, makes sense,_ the New Kamas thought.

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE LOST VYOUR MEMORY!" Ivankov shouted. "HOW COULD VYOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW SCARY I CAN BE?! IT LOOKS LIKE I'LL HAVE TO BEAT THOSE MEMORIES BACK INTO VYOU! PREPARE VYOURSELF, KUMA!"

He then turned to his New Kamas.

"I can handle Kuma!" he shouted. "The rest of you! Help Straw Hat Boy and White Wolf Boy and back them up! And whatever you do, don't let either of them die!"

"Yes, Lord Iva!"

With that, the New Kamas proceed to follow Luffy and Blizzard.

"We gotta get to that scaffold!" Luffy shouted.

"YEAH~!" the New Kamas shouted in agreement.

Meanwhile, with Buggy and his followers, they too had charged into battle.

"Don't let Straw Hat and that stupid dog of his get the jump on us!" Buggy yelled. "Now's the time to put Operation: 'Make Captain Buggy Famous' into action! If we succeed, we'll shock the entire world! Follow the plan, men!"

"YES, CAP'N BUGGY!" the prisoners shouted.

"Could this harebrained scheme of yours possibly work?!" asked Mr. 3.

Crocodile took a drag of his cigar as he faced the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Crocodile!" the pirates cried.

**FWOO~!** Crocodile blew out a puff of smoke.

"These damn pirates are being a pain in the ass," he said.

**SWASH!** Mr. 1 cut down some of the pirates with his steel body, while Crocodile looked to the _Moby Dick_, where Whitebeard and Stefan stood.

"He's way over there, now," said the former Warlord.

Suddenly, more of the Whitebeard Pirates lunged at Crocodile.

"There's no way we'll let you get near Pops, Crocodile!"

**WRR!** A tiny whirlwind appeared in Crocodile's hand.

"Don't get…IN MY WAY!" he shouted.

**WOOSH!** He sent a Sables attack at the pirates, sending them flying away in a whirlwind of sand.

"Damn that Crocodile," said Whitebeard. "He can be such a pain in the ass."

**Grrrff…!** Stefan growled.

However, Crocodile spotted one pirate that managed to hold his ground: Jozu, who turned his left arm into diamond. Before he could react fast enough, **WHAM!** He punched Crocodile hard in the face, despite him being made of sand.

"Brilliant PUNK!"

Crocodile is sent flying way from the bay. **SHESH!** His body then turned into sand, and he became whole as he appeared beside Doflamingo.

"Ugh…!" Crocodile grunted as he wiped blood off his lip. "Dammit. With that size and speed, as well as that Devil Fruit power of his, he'll be a lot of trouble…Diamond Jozu!"

Jozu begins to charge Crocodile, once more, when suddenly, **FWIP!** Doflamingo made his familiar hand gesture, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh!" Doflamingo snickered. "I'm actually surprised you managed to get out, Crocodile! Tell me, how was your relaxing dip in the Pool of Blood?"

"Doflamingo!" Crocodile shouted.

Jozu craned his head to look at Doflamingo.

"You better stay the hell out of my way," said Crocodile, "or I'll else kill you along with Jozu!"

"I see you still like to talk mean," Doflamingo mused, jokingly with a snicker. "Perhaps you and I should join forces."

Back with Luffy and Blizzard, they are still making a beeline for the gallows, with the New Kamas not too far behind.

"Go, Straw Hat, go!" shouted one of them.

"Got it!" Luffy said. "C'mon, Blizzard! We're gonna make it!"

_I can't believe I'm thinking this,_ Blizzard thought, _but I really hope you're right! I still got that bad feeling in my gut!_

Just then, the two spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

It's Mihawk.

"Sorry, Red Hair," said Mihawk as he drew his legendary sword, "but I'm afraid that this power of mine knows no restraint."

"Hawk Eye!" Luffy shouted.

_Damnation!_ Blizzard cursed in his head. _Not this guy, too!_

"Now then, Fate," said Mihawk. "How will you deal with this supposedly heaven-sent boy and his dog? Will their lives end, here and now, or will they escape this Black Blade of mine?"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I meant to have this up, yesterday, but I was busy.

Review, please!


	15. Luffy vs Mihawk

**Ch. 15- Luffy vs. Mihawk**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Luffy and Blizzard had been saved by Boa Hancock, who gave them the key to Ace's cuffs. Ivankov learns that Kuma has now become a human weapon and no longer has his old memories of being a Revolutionary, or being human for that matter. Buggy and his followers prepare to put Operation: "Make Captain Buggy Famous" into action, and Doflamingo offers to make an alliance with Crocodile. Meanwhile, Luffy and Blizzard continue their charge to rescue Ace, but standing in their path is the World's Greatest Swordsman: Dracule Mihawk.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed. "He's too strong for us! Blizzard and I don't have time to fight him, right! We gotta save Ace!"

**SWIP!** The two Straw Hats suddenly disappeared from Mihawk's eyes.

However, Mihawk remained in his spot and looked around, looking between the fighting Marines and pirates. Then, he spotted two familiar blurs in the distance.

"Found you…" the swordsman said.

**BOOM!** With a swing of his mighty sword, Mihawk cut Luffy in the shoulder, catching him by surprise.

_LUFFY!_ Blizzard thought.

"UGH!" Luffy grunted as blood spilled from his shoulder.

"Nice try," Mihawk said, "but you and that mongrel are not out of range, yet."

**SHWUMP! KRASH!** Luffy ended up crashing into a wall. Blizzard immediately ran to his aid, but then, he suddenly froze as he felt a sudden jolt of pain shoot through his body.

_Oh, no…_ Blizzard thought. _These arrows in my back…and the wounds I got from fighting with Ken…I think they're getting worse!_

At that moment, Luffy stood up, clutching his wounded shoulder.

"Unh…!" he groaned. "Dammit! H-he cut me!"

_WATCH YOUR BACK!_ Blizzard yelled in thought.

Luffy looked up, as if he had heard his dog's thoughts, and as soon as he did, he saw Mihawk, dropping down towards him, the blade of his sword pointing downward.

"HOLY-" was all Luffy could utter before he dodge the incoming sword, which landed with a loud **THUNK!**

**TUMP! SHRSHHH!** Luffy somersaulted backwards before he landed on his feet, although he did slide a bit.

"Out of our way, Straw Hat!"

"Yeah! Leave Hawk Eye to us! We'll stop him!"

Luffy looked up and saw that two New Kama candy boys had lunged at Mihawk with swords drawn.

"Remember us, Hawkeye?!" asked one.

"We challenged you to a duel in the past and lost to you!" said the other. "But now that we're New Kamas, we're way stronger than last time!"

**SLASH!** Mihawk easily took the two candy boys down with one swing of his sword.

"I never bother," he began, "to remember the face of garbage such as you."

"Gear…SECOND!"

Mihawk turned and saw Luffy in Gear Second mode, once again.

_Wait…what are you doing?!_ Blizzard asked in thought.

"Gum…GUUUUUM…JET BAZOO-"

"_WAIT, YOU IDIOT! DON'T DO IT! HE'LL CUT YOUR HANDS CLEAN OFF!"_

Luffy gasps, and that's when an image came to his head. He had fired a Gum-Gum Bazooka at Mihawk…only to have his hands chopped right off.

Not only that…but he could've sworn that he heard Blizzard…talking. Not like the frenzied barking of a dog, but…actually talking like a human being!

Suddenly, **KRASH!** Luffy stopped his attack before it could finish, pounding his fists into the ground before looking at Mihawk.

"That was a close one," he said. "If I attacked him, he would've cut my hands off!" He then looked at Blizzard in a confused manner, and the wolf-dog returned his gaze.

_What are you staring at me, for?!_ Blizzard thought.

"Blizzard…did you…did you just…talk?!" Luffy asked.

_Talk?_ Blizzard thought. _What kind of gobbledygook are you going on about?! I can't talk! I'm a freaking dog, for god's sake!_

"Okay…this is weird," Luffy said. "I-I could've sworn I heard you yell at me to stop my Gum-Gum Jet Bazooka or else Hawk Eye would cut off my hands!"

Blizzard stared at Luffy with wide eyes.

_You…you heard me?!_ he thought. _But…but that's impossible! I was barking! How could you understand what I was saying?!_

Luffy shook his head, and then rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw Blizzard, giving him his usual barking.

Now Luffy was really confused. What was happening, here? First, he could foresee Mihawk's attack, and then he could hear Blizzard's voice? Could it be that the pressure of rescuing Ace from being executed was putting such a strain on his mind, that he started to hear and see things?

"Straw Hat!"

Luffy and Blizzard looked up and saw Mihawk beginning to raise his sword again.

"You're much calmer than I had expected," he said.

**SWAK!** Mihawk swung his sword at the two Straw Hat Pirates, who ducked down in the nick of time. As they did, they saw both the Marines and the pirates pause in the fighting and look on in shock.

The slash of Mihawk's sword was so powerful, it broke the tsunami that Aokiji had frozen.

"Look out!" cried one of the Marines aboard the battleships. "The iceberg is falling!"

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The iceberg had fallen on three of the battleships.

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Crocodile stood before Jozu, who is under the control of Doflamingo.

"You and I, join forces?!" Crocodile questioned. "Don't act like we're equals, Doflamingo. That is, unless, you wanna be my henchman or something."

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh…" Doflamingo chuckled. "And here, I thought that being in prison might've humbled you. At least a little."

"Guess not," Crocodile said, "because if it had…I'd have never come here. SABLES!"

**WHRRR! SHWOOOOO!** Crocodile unleashed a giant whirlwind of sand on both Doflamingo and Jozu.

"GET LOST, YOU DAMN FLAMINGO!"

As this was happening, Buggy had unfortunately found himself trapped in the sandy whirlwind.

"CAP'N BUGGY~!" the prisoners cried.

"WHY IN THE HELL ARE YOU GETTING DRAGGED INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S FIGHTS?!" Mr. 3 questioned.

Back with Luffy and Blizzard, the two found themselves locked in battle with Mihawk, and so far, it looked like it was a lost cause, for all they are doing is dodging the swings of his sword.

"What will you and your dog do, now, Straw Hat?" asked Mihawk. "You're only getting farther away from your brother if you keep this up."

_He's right!_ Blizzard thought. _We can't just keep dodging his attacks like this! We can't just run passed him, either, because then he'll keep attacking us! What do we do?!_

Luffy growled in frustration. He knew he could nothing to withstand Mihawk's attacks. He may be made of rubber, but rubber can still get cut. He needed some way to distract Mihawk. He knew Blizzard couldn't do it, even if he wanted to. Those arrows on his back could be a real hindrance to him, after all.

Suddenly, Luffy spotted something- or much rather, some_one_- up above.

It's Buggy, flying helplessly in the air from Crocodile's Sables attack.

"Hey! I just got an idea!" Luffy said.

_Oh, please share,_ Blizzard thought, sarcastically.

**WROING!** Luffy stretched his arms out and **WHAP!** He grabbed Buggy right out of the sky.

"Hey!" Buggy said. "I'm saved!"

"Gum-GUUUUUM…JET HUMAN SHIELD!"

**WHAP! SHWAK!** Mihawk swung his sword, but instead of cutting Luffy…he ended up Buggy in half instead.

Lucky for Buggy that he couldn't die from getting cut like that.

_IS THAT EVEN AN ATTACK?!_ Blizzard thought.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT, STRAW HAT?!" Buggy questioned as he grabbed Luffy by the collar of his vest.

"Hey, don't yell at me!" Luffy said as he held Buggy back. "I'm not the one who cut you!"

_You know, for once, he has a point,_ Blizzard thought.

"Gum-Gum…HUMAN SHIELD!"

**SHNIK!** Luffy threw Buggy's upper half at Mihawk, who continued to slash the clown pirate into pieces, but even still, Buggy remained intact.

"DAMN YOU, HAWKEYE!" Buggy shouted. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! FACE THE WRATH OF MY SPECIAL MUGGY BALL!"

**POP!** Buggy fired his Muggy Ball from the tip of his shoe at Mihawk.

"I'LL BLAST YOU OFF THE FACE OF THIS WORLD!" Buggy yelled.

**KLANK!** Mihawk easily deflected the Muggy Ball…right back at Buggy.

**KABOOM!** A huge explosion went off, engulfing Buggy.

"NO!" the prisoners cried. "CAP'N BUGGY!"

Luffy and Blizzard continued to running, now that Mihawk was out of their way.

"Thanks, Buggy!" Luffy called. "I'll never forget you!"

_Ah, I never cared about him, anyway!_ Blizzard thought.

"We're not finished, yet," Mihawk said as he turned to try and attack the two fleeing Straw Hats.

"Vista!" Marco called. "Go and help him!"

"Yes, sir! Leave it to me!"

**WHOOM!** A familiar figure blurred through the battlefield. **KLANG!** He clashed swords with Mihawk.

"You're 'Flower Blade' Vista," said Mihawk. "Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' 5th Unit, I assume?"

Vista chuckled.

"Why, yes!" he said. "Nice to meet you, too, 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk! How do you know me?"

"Only a fool wouldn't know who you are," Mihawk replied.

Back with Luffy and Blizzard…

"Looks like we made it, somehow!" Luffy said as he and Blizzard kept running to the plaza. "Who is that guy, anyway?"

_Let's not worry about him, now!_ Blizzard thought.

"Well, whatever," Luffy said. "Blizzard, we better thank that guy when we get the chance!"

_I'll remember that,_ Blizzard thought. _Right now, we've got bigger things to worry about!_

Mihawk is still locked in battle with Vista, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.

_It's not the power of his Devil Fruit or his techniques,_ he thought. _That boy possesses some sort of quality that makes people, even his enemies, want to help him. And in these seas…that's the most formidable power of all!_

"Get outta my WAY!" Luffy shouted.

**BAP!** He punched a Marine out of his way before he and Blizzard continued onward.

As the scheduled time of Ace's execution draws ever closer, many truths are revealed, one after the other. Due to the escape of over 200 prisoners from the impregnable Impel Down, many vicious pirates continue to flow into the battlefield.

The spectators can hardly believe what they're seeing. This battle…no…this _war_ could actually determine the fate of the entire world!

The viewers around the globe can only watch helplessly, and wait for the outcome of this war that will decide the future of all.

At the plaza…

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir! Preparations are complete!"

"Even the contraption at the bay?"

"Yes, sir! Everything, sir!"

Ace sat on the scaffold, still awaiting the blade that would bring his death.

XXX

On the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone is watching in anticipation and fear.

"Hey. It looks like they're getting ready to start the execution!" said one of the spectators.

The mother from before gasped and quickly covered her son's eyes, not wanting him to see an even greater display of violence than all the things that had been transgressing in the battlefield.

XXX

Back at Marineford…

"Oh, no! Look!" cried one of the pirates. "It looks like they're getting ready to kill Ace!"

"Right now?!" asked another pirate. "But they can't! It's not time, yet!"

"Were we too late, after all?!" asked one more.

XXX

On Sabaody…

"They're gonna start the execution!"

"But I don't understand! There's still loads of time, left! What's going on?!"

XXX

"Cut the broadcast on all video Transponder Snails!" Sengoku ordered. "We mustn't lose the world's trust! The shock of what's about to happen might shatter the belief that people have in us! There's no need…to broadcast this tragedy to the rest of the world."

Luffy gasped.

"Oh, no!" he said. "They really are gonna kill him, early! Blizzard, we gotta hurry!"

_What do you think I'm doing, here, Luffy?_ Blizzard thought. _Picking daisies?!_

"ACE~!" Luffy called to his brother as he and Blizzard ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

"In just a few hours," Sengoku said, "the inhabitants of the world only need to know…that the Marines were victorious. That's all we need."

Suddenly, one of the pirates spotted some mysterious shadowy figures appearing at the bay.

"H-hey!" he called to his fellow buccaneers. "Look! At the bay! Something's coming this way!"

"Those aren't our guys! The Marines' forces are coming from behind the ice!"

"What are those things?!"

Whitebeard looked down to his right.

"So," he said, "those are the World Government's human weapons."

"Those are the Kuma guys from back at Sabaody!" Luffy exclaimed.

_What the hell are they doing here?!_ Blizzard thought.

"K…K…KUMA?!" Ivankov sputtered.

It is revealed that Sentomaru had arrived, and behind him…is a fleet of Pacifista cyborgs.

"All right, men!" Sentomaru cried. "We've waited long enough! Our time has come!"

About an hour-and-a-half into the battle, the forces of the Marines make their move. The tide of battle shifts as the final stage draws near!

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Meant to have this up yesterday, but was too tired. Anyway, I'm off for the holidays, so that means updates, updates, and, you guessed it, UPDATES! Yay~!

Review, please!


	16. Whirl Spider Squard

**Ch. 16- Whirl Spider Squard**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Luffy and Blizzard did battle with Mihawk, only to fail due to the swordsman's strength. However, Luffy had some odd experience that causes him to foresee Mihawk's attack, as well as seemingly hear Blizzard talk. Sengoku plans to cut off all broadcasting of the war to the rest of the world, including Ace's execution, so as not to lose the trust of the world, and an hour-and-a-half into the war, Sentomaru and the Pacifista cyborgs arrive.

The pirates stared in disbelief as the Pacifistas entered the bay.

"Warlord Bartholomew Kuma?!"

"But that's crazy! Why are there so many of them?!"

"What the hell's going on here?!"

XXX

On the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone is also watching in surprise at the appearance of the Pacifistas.

"Those are the people who wreaked havoc here in the Sabaody Archipelago!"

"Look at all those Kumas!"

"But there are lot more of them, this time! There must be at least 20 of them, now! What's going on?!"

"**HQ! HQ! We've got big news!"** cried one of the reporters, who tried to deliver this news to the press.

XXX

Back at Marineford, Ivankov and Kuma are still locked in battle.

"Is any one of these guys the real Kuma?!" asked one of the pirates.

"I've heard rumors from time-to-time! Dr. Vegapunk has been developing some kind of human weapons!"

"Yeah, and he sent these experimental drones into battle!"

"But why do they all look like Kuma?!"

"Old man!" Sentomaru shouted into a Mini Transponder Snail. "This wasn't part of the plan! I thought you said that we were supposed to come out AFTER you trapped all the pirates in the bay, and yet they're still all spread out!"

Some of the Whitebeard Pirates gasped.

"So, the Marines have been trying to trap us in the bay, all along!"

"So that's why Pops told us to destroy the battleships on the sides! He foresaw this happening!"

"Man, Pops really came through for us! Thanks to that, they can't ambush us!"

"The wings may be out of commission," said Sengoku, "but that doesn't mean we can still attack them from front the front and the rear! Proceed as planned and aim for the pirates! Start with the ones that are not in the target area!"

The Marines and the Marine K9 Units roared in agreement before they charged into battle, once more.

"We're more than likely to lose one of our battleships," said Sentomaru as he spoke into the Mini Transponder Snail. "Are you sure about this?"

"**Just keep damage to a minimum,"** said Kizaru on the other end.

"All right then," Sentomaru said. "LET'S MOVE!"

"I may not know what's going on, here," said one of the pirates, holding up a spiked club, "but if you think that we're gonna die that easily, you've got another thing coming, pal!"

**WHOOSH! KRASH!** The pirate attempted to attack one of the Pacifistas, only for his club to be shattered once it made contact with the cyborg's chest.

"W…what the…?!" the pirate questioned. "How in the hell?!"

**FWASH! THOOM!** The Pacifista fired a laser at the pirate from his mouth. **WHUP! WHUP! WHUP!** Several others jumped aboard one of the battleships that had been invaded by the pirates.

"GO, PACIFISTAS!" Sentomaru ordered.

**KABOOOOM!** The Pacifistas fired their lasers at the passengers on the battleships, and some of them aboard were even Marines!

**BOOM!** The battleship soon exploded and sank.

"Looks like they're killing friend and foe, alike," said Whitebeard.

_These things look tough,_ Stefan thought, _but I'm pretty sure that we can handle them._

"IGNORE THE ENEMY AT THE REAR!" Whitebeard bellowed. "INVADE THE PLAZA AND FINISH THIS, ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

The Whitebeard Pirates roared as they charged into the bay, heading to the plaza.

"ALL HANDS, RETREAT FROM THE BAY!" Sengoku ordered. "DON'T LET THESE PIRATES ENTER THE PLAZA, NO MATTER WHAT!"

The Marines roared before they retreated to the plaza in an effort to defend it, trying to fend the pirates off with cannon-fire.

"C'mon! Hurry!"

"Corner them, Pacifistas!" Sentomaru ordered.

The Pacifistas continued to advance, but one foolish pirate attempted to fight back by arming himself with a bazooka.

"DIE!" he shouted.

**BOOM!** He fired his gun at one of them, but of course, it had no effect.

**Beep-beep-beep! ZOW!** The Pacifista fired its laser at the pirates, sending them flying away.

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, the spectators are still watching in shock.

"What's going on?!"

"It's like those things aren't even human!"

"Could they be immortal?!"

Suddenly, **BZZZT! KRRZZZTT!** The monitors started to go off.

"What the…? Hey!"

"What's happening?!"

"Someone's shutting off the monitors!"

XXX

Back at Marineford…

"After the broadcast has been cut," said Sengoku, "activate the encirclement! Then we will execute Ace and capture all these pirates at the same time!"

"Yes, sir," said one of the executioners.

"Oh, no!" Luffy cried as he punched down another Marine. "Blizzard, we gotta hurry! If we don't, they're gonna kill Ace!"

_I'm hurrying!_ Blizzard thought.

Suddenly, the two stopped in their tracks and gasped.

"Sorry," said Kizaru, "but I'm afraid to send you two back to the starting line. No hard feelings."

**SHEEN~! KRAK!** Kizaru sent the two Straw Hats flying back with a kick as fast as light.

"AGH!" Luffy cried.

**YIPE!** Blizzard yowled in pain, because when Kizaru kicked him, he broke a segment of his tailbone.

**THUD!** The two ended up landing on Jimbei's stomach.

"Luffy!" the whale shark Fishman cried.

**BLEGH! KOFF! WEEZ!** Luffy gasped and panted as blood bubbled his throat, forcing him to cough it up.

"**Huff…huff…**Jimbei…!" he wheezed.

"Now the Admirals have entered the battlefield," said Jimbei. "They may be strong, but we must advance! After all, you and Blizzard came here, knowing how powerful the enemy would be!"

"Y…yeah," Luffy said as he stood up. "Blizzard? How're you holding up, buddy?"

**Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!** Blizzard panted heavily.

_I'm down,_ Blizzard thought, _but I'm not out, just yet…oh, GOD, my tail is killing me!_

Suddenly, more of the pirates came charging passed the two.

"Ace's little brother!" called Izou, a cross-dressing man, as well as the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' 16th Unit, wearing a pink and purple kimono with a pale complexion and black hair tied up in a way resembling that of a geisha, and wrapped around his waist is a Japanese-looking light red indument with little dark purple spots tied around his waist. "Don't tell me you and that dog of yours are exhausted, already! Well?!"

"Oh! The Division Leaders!" Jimbei said. "Good! You'll be of great help to us!"

The Division Leaders continued on with their charge.

"Don't let the Admirals stop, Ace's little brother!" Izou called. "Come with us! Since the Marines are retreating, then this is our chance! We'll break through their lines and rescue Ace, without fail!"

"O…okay!" Luffy called, holding his side. "I'm coming!" He turned to Blizzard, who seemed to be even worse than he is, right now.

"Blizzard," Luffy said to his dog. "Listen. I don't think it's a good idea for you to keep going. You look worse than I do, so you should probably turn back!"

Blizzard staggered to his paws, trying to shake off the pain.

_Forget it…_ he thought. _I keep saying that I'm not leaving you. I can still run, dammit!_

With that, the two Straw Hats followed after the Division Leaders.

"My, my," Kizaru said, nonchalantly. "They look quite powerful, don't they?"

In a different part of the battlefield, Moria is confronting one of the Division Leaders: Curiel, a tall, muscular, and sturdy man with purple-tinted square-rimmed shades and wearing a watermelon-patterned bucket helmet on his head with a pair of headphones over his ears. Tattooed on his chin is the Whitebeard Pirates' Jolly Roger. He wears a green sleeveless coat over a magenta shirt, and brown and green spotted army pants tucked inside a standard pair of boots, and strapped to his back are two bazookas, and he is armed with two flintlock pistols, as well.

"KISHISHISHISHI!" Moria cackled. "Come at me, if you dare, Curiel, leader of the 10th Unit, but you're doomed if you stay here in the bay! KISHISHISHISHISHI! Ace will die and you fools will all be trapped! I don't care who wins or loses, to be honest, but it would be hilarious to see Whitebeard and that fleabag of his die!"

"I'm not gonna let Pops, Stefan, or Ace get killed!" Curiel shouted.

**BOOM!** He fired one of his bazookas at Moria.

Meanwhile, with Vista and Mihawk, the two are still dueling. **KLANG!** The two clashed swords, but neither of them seemed to get a hit on each other.

"Perhaps we should settle this later, Vista," said Mihawk.

"It seems that would be best for the both of us, wouldn't it?" asked Vista.

**CHOMP!** Shiyu bit down on the face of another pirate before continuing to retreat to the plaza, followed by the rest of the 1st K9 Unit. Since Ken's death, it had been immediately decided that Shiyu would be in charge.

"_Follow me!"_ he called to the other dogs. _"We must follow Fleet Admiral Sengoku's orders and make sure they don't reach Ace!"_

"Commodore Smoker!" Tashigi called as she finished cutting down a pirate. "This place is already…!"

"I know, Tashigi!" Smoker called.

"Oh, Luffy," Hancock whispered, worryingly. "Please, you and Blizzard must hurry!"

Kuma just remained silent.

At the scaffold…

"Have all the broadcasts been cut?!" Sengoku asked a nearby Marine captain.

"Not yet, sir!" answered the captain. "Hold off, just a bit longer, sir!"

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone watched in surprise and confusion.

"Only one of the monitors is still on!"

"Shh~! Quiet! I think I heard something!"

"**Hey! Look over there!"** shouted a voice on the monitor.

XXX

"Well?!" Sengoku questioned. "What's going on?! Hurry and turn off the broadcast!"

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, the spectators watched the monitor, bewildered.

"**Hey! Isn't that-?!"**

"**It can't be! He's kept his identity a secret until now!"**

"**But he was a member of Gold Roger's legendary crew!"**

"**Hey, you! Are you….the great and powerful pirate, Buggy the Clown?!"**

"**Hmm?"**

On the screen, Buggy turned to face the Video Transponder Snail, revealing his…bleeding face to the audience.

"**Why, yes!"** he answered. **"That's me, all right!"**

_WHAT THE-?!_ the crowd thought.

"**It's supposed to be kept a secret, though,"** Buggy said. **"The fact that I'm legendary, that is."**

"**DAH! C-Cap'n Buggy! Your nose is bleeding!"**

"**Hey! Someone, wipe his face! We gotta start over!"**

"**Take two!"**

XXX

At Marineford…

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP THE BROADCAST!" Sengoku snapped. "THE PLAN CAN PROCEED UNTIL YOU DO!"

"I-I'm sorry, sir!" the Marine captain said. "One of the Video Transponder Snails has been taken over by the prisoners of Impel Down!"

"WHAAAAAAAT?!"

It is revealed that Buggy and his followers had stolen the one Video Transponder Snail that is still broadcasting the whole thing, and that they are using to try and make a broadcast of their own in order to make Buggy even more famous than he is, now.

"Okay! Make up!"

"Quiet! Quiet on the set!"

"Scene 1! Take two!"

"And…action!"

**KLAP!** One of the prisoners snapped a clapperboard.

XXX

Back on Sabaody…

"**Hey! Look, over there!"**

"**That's the legendary crewmate of Gold Roger and blood brother of 'Red-Haired' Shanks, one of the Four Emperors!"**

"**Are you…the great and powerful pirate they call 'Buggy the Clown'?!"**

Buggy turned to face the audience, this time without a bloody nose. He still had a missing tooth, though.

"**Why, yes! Indeed I am!"** Buggy said.

"**MAKE THOSE FOOLS STOP, RIGHT NOW!"** shouted an angry Sengoku.

XXX

**BOOM!** An explosion went off, back at the battlefield.

"YIKES!" one of the prisoners cried. "THEY FOUND US!"

"RUN FOR IT!" shouted another one.

"Wait! Hang on! Take three!"

"And…action!"

**KLAP!** Someone clapped the clapperboard, again.

"You just got yourself cut to pieces by 'Hawk Eye' Mihawk, and now you're just fine?! Who are you?!"

"Me?"

XXX

On Sabaody…

"**I'm the legendary Buggy the Clown."**

"**BLOW THEM ALL TO KINGDOM COME!"**

At this point, the spectators started to get angry. They even started booing at Buggy.

"Boo~! BOO~!"

"Who's this fool?! Get him outta here!"

"We want to see the war!"

"Dammit! If this is the Marines' idea of a joke, it's not funny! My brothers are fighting in that battle, right now! What if something horrible happened to them?! I gotta see!"

"Why did they shut off the broadcast?!"

"Let us see what happened to Ace, now!"

"Show us the army of Bartholomew Kumas! C'mon!"

XXX

Back on the battlefield…

"Forget about the flank!" shouted one of the pirates. "Keep moving forward and don't stop, whatever you do!"

On the _Moby Dick_, Whitebeard and Stefan are still watching the battle unfold, when suddenly, the latter picked up the sound of footsteps coming from behind them. He and his master turned and saw Squard approaching them.

"Oh, Squard, it's you," Whitebeard said in acknowledgement. "So, you're all right after all. I was getting a bit worried about you. I couldn't get a hold of your or anything."

"Sorry for making you fret," Squard said. "Pops…a lot of us are getting savaged, out there."

"I know," Whitebeard said. "The Marines are coming at us with everything they've got. If they're trying to hem us in from behind, we'll just keep moving forward. Stefan and I are going out to fight, soon, so our only hope is to keep advancing!"

"Yes, I know," Squard agreed.

**KLAK!** He unsheathed his giant saber.

"We're all indebted to you, Pops," he continued. "I've dedicated my life to the Whitebeard Pirates, long ago!"

Stefan eyed Squard intently, the fur along his back starting to rise.

At that moment, Marco noticed him, too.

"Oh," he said. "So that's where Squard's been, this whole time. Hey…wait a minute. What's he-"

**SHUNK!** Whitebeard suddenly felt something pierce him, straight through his abdomen and out his back. The Emperor looked down and saw, to his, as well as everyone else's shock…that Squard had stabbed him, straight through the stomach.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	17. One Man One Heart

**Ch. 17- One Man, One Heart**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Sentomaru and the Pacifistas began their attack on the Whitebeard Pirates. Luffy and Blizzard start to show signs of exhaustion on the battlefield, but they continue on. Buggy, in a foolish attempt to make himself famous, steals one of the Video Transponder Snails, only to fail miserably, just when Sengoku is about to cut off all the broadcasts. Meanwhile, Squard finally reappears and does the unthinkable: stabbing Whitebeard.

Ace, the Whitebeard Pirates, Luffy and Blizzard, Jimbei, Ivankov, Buggy, even Whitebeard himself are all shocked at this sudden act. The only ones who didn't seem fazed by it are the Admirals, Sentomaru, Doflamingo, Moria, and Mihawk.

"POPS~!" the Whitebeard Pirates cried.

**SHLUK!** Squard removed his saber from Whitebeard's stomach, and Whitebeard just stood there, a small stream of blood trickling down his lip.

Little did anyone know that Buggy and his followers still have the Video Transponder Snail, which is still watching everything and broadcasting to the whole world.

XXX

On the Sabaody Archipelago, the audience watched in disbelief.

"What the hell?!"

"W…Whitebeard! He's been stabbed!"

XXX

Sengoku and Garp looked, also seemingly unfazed by Squard's action.

"O…Old Man Whitebeard…!" Luffy whispered.

_Oh my god…!_ Blizzard thought.

**PLIP! PLOP!** A large amount of blood spilled from Whitebeard.

XXX

Back on the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone watched and screamed, horrified at the scene. Some of them even covered the watching eyes of the children.

"**Whitebeard's been stabbed by one of his own men!"** exclaimed one of the reporters. **"It was one of the pirate captains! 'Whirl Spider' Squard, one of the pirates from the New World!"**

XXX

Back at Marineford, Squard panted as he stepped away from Whitebeard, when suddenly, **THWAM!** He found himself getting pinned down by a huge paw.

**GRRRR~!** Stefan growled viciously in Squard's face, and soon, Marco appeared beside him.

_How DARE YOU stab Edward?!_ the giant dog thought. _I should kill you for this!_

"Good dog, Stefan!" Marco praised him, though his eyes are still on Squard. "Now make sure he stays there."

Squard didn't struggle under the weight of Stefan's paw.

"You damned traitor," Marco hissed, venomously. "Why, Squard?! Why the HELL did you do it!?"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Squard shouted. "THE OLD BASTARD HAD IT COMING TO HIM!"

"Pops!" cried McGuy and his pirates.

**VEEN! ZOW!** They are soon fired upon by one of the Pacifistas.

"Tell me the truth, Whitebeard!" Squard shouted. "You're in cahoots with the Marines, aren't you?!"

Everyone gasped.

"You made a deal with them to save the Whitebeard Pirates and Ace, didn't you!?" Squard questioned. "ANSWER ME!"

Everyone stared up in shock at Squard's outrageous statement.

"W…what is he saying?"

"What's going on?!"

"YOU LED US ALL HEADLONG INTO A TRAP!" Squard shouted. "You never told me that Ace was the son of Gold Roger!"

Whitebeard and Marco stared at Squard, who is still trapped under Stefan's paw.

"When you took me under your wing," Squard began, "I was all alone in the world, and you know DAMN FREAKING WELL WHY! Because the crew I had fought with for so long had been completely eradicated by Gold Roger, himself! YOU KNEW HOW MUCH I HATED THAT DEVIL! You should've told me the truth! That Ace was Roger's son and you wanted to make HIM the next King of the Pirates! I trusted you, Whitebeard, but by letting Ace join, you'd already betrayed me! When Ace and I became pals, you were laughing at me! Ace was the most important thing to you, and now he's been captured!"

XXX

On the Sabaody Archipelago…

"**THAT'S WHY YOU SOLD OUT THE 43 PIRATE CAPTAINS UNDER YOUR COMMAND!"** Squard yelled. **"IT WAS THEIR LIVES IN EXCHANGE FOR ACE'S, WASN'T IT?! YOU MADE A DEAL WITH SENGOKU SO THAT THE WHITEBEARD PIRATES AND ACE WOULD BE SPARED! ISN'T THAT RIGHT, WHITEBEARD?! YOU MADE FOOLS OF US ALL!"**

XXX

"We came here, ready to sacrifice everything we had for you and Ace!" Squard exclaimed. "And look around you! THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE GETTING ATTACKED ARE THE PIRATES!"

In the battlefield, the pirates are under siege by the Pacifistas.

"We're surrounded by giant walls of ice!" Squard continued. "There's no escape for us, now!"

"Pops!" cried Karma. "That's not true, is it?! Tell me it's not true!"

Squard panted as Stefan continued to put pressure on him, while Whitebeard.

"I know it was only a miracle that I managed to stab you, even once," Squard gasped, "but I don't care whatever the hell you do to me, now! So go ahead! Have your damn dog kill me!"

_Flashback_

"No!" Squard shouted. "You're lying! No way am I falling for your tricks!"

"You'll be sorry," said a familiar figure. "Take a good, long look around you. When the all-out attack is launched, the only ones who we're going to kill are all the allied pirates, even Straw Hat and White Wolf. We won't even touch Whitebeard, Ace, or his men."

_Flashback end_

**ZOW! SHUNK!** One of the pirates had been hit by a Pacifista's laser.

"Now! That can't be! Squard's gotta be lying!"

"AAAAAAH!" Another pirate screamed as he was hit by another laser.

"But then again, it does look like they're only attacking us!"

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago…

"Whitebeard…" a man whispered. "He sold out his allies…to the Marines?"

"I don't believe it," said another.

XXX

"I didn't wanna believe him!" said Squard. "I didn't wanna believe what I was seeing, but it all seemed true! You betrayed us, Whitebeard!"

"OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES, SQUARD!" Marco snapped. "DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT YOU'VE BEEN TRICKED?! HOW COULD YOU EVER DOUBT POPS LIKE THAT?!"

"OH, SHUT UP!" Squard shouted. "DON'T YOU PLAY DUMB, TOO!"

**Huff! Huff! PLUP! PLUP!** Whitebeard panted as he put a hand on his stab wound, which still bled.

"It is true that Ace is Gold Roger's son," he said. "He picked on the one that it would bother, the most. Very cagey of him."

"AOKIJI!" Sengoku ordered.

**KROOM!** Something icy dashed off toward Buggy, who looked up in surprise.

XXX

"So this war was just a setup from the beginning?!" asked one of the spectators.

"Then what in the hell have they been fighting for?! Does this mean it's never gonna end?!"

Just then, **KRRZZZT! BLIP!** The last monitor finally went off.

"H-hey! Wait! What happened?!"

"No! Turn it back on! I have to see what happens, next!"

XXX

Back at Marineford, it is revealed that Buggy, as well as his followers and the Video Transponder Snail have been frozen solid, thanks to a certain Admiral.

"Activate the encirclement wall!" Sengoku ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

Down underwater, it is revealed that there is some sort of wall underneath the ice.

Back on the surface, Crocodile stared up at Whitebeard in disbelief.

"That bastard…" he whispered. "CUT THE PRETENSE, WHITEBEARD! THE MAN WHO DEFEATED ME COULD NEVER BE THE WEAKLING I SEE BEFORE ME, NOW!"

Whitebeard and Mr. 1 looked at the former Warlord, silently.

"Croc Boy!" Ivankov cried.

"Crocodile…" Jimbei whispered.

_He's right,_ Marco thought. _Pops could've easily dodged that attack, even if he was caught off guard. Not even somebody he trusted could get to him like that! So it can't be that._

It is then that Marco remembered something. Whitebeard had taken off his wires, believing that if he wore them, then the enemy would feel sorry for him, despite the warnings of his crew.

_His health continues to deteriorate,_ Marco thought.

"Stefan!" Whitebeard shouted. "Let Squard go."

Stefan looked at Whitebeard, and then back at Squard before he backed away, allowing Squard to stand.

"Squard," Whitebeard said. "How could you draw your sword against your own father? I can't believe how foolish you're being."

Squard gasped, and something completely unexpected happened: Whitebeard got down on one knee…and wrapped one of his arms around Squard, as if to embrace him.

"You may be a fool, Squard," said Whitebeard, "but Stefan and I still love you."

**SLUP!** Stefan gave Squard a big lick on the cheek.

"S…Stefan…" Squard whispered. "W…what are you doing, Whitebeard?! I tried to kill you, just now!"

"You've always been one of my most loyal sons," Whitebeard began. "Who was it who lured you into the dark depths of doubt, Squard?"

"I-it was a rebel from the Marines!" Squard answered. "He told me that if I stabbed you, my men would be spared!"

_Flashback_

It is revealed that the mysterious figure that Squard was talking to earlier is Akainu.

"I'm against this whole operation," said Akainu. "The only one who really deserves to die in this war is Whitebeard! We can't pass up such an opportunity, but if you do as I say, neither you nor your crew will be harmed! This, I promise."

_Flashback end_

"Is that what Akainu told you?" asked Whitebeard. "I know how much you hate Gold Roger, Squard, but it's wrong to condemn a child for the sins of his father. What did Ace ever do to you that was so wrong?"

At that moment, Squard gasped as his eyes began to tear up.

"Be good to your brother," Whitebeard continued. "Ace isn't the only one who's special to me. I love…all my children."

With that, Whitebeard let the tearful Squard go, and then stared up at the execution platform.

"You're as cunning as ever, eh, Sengoku?" asked Whitebeard. "You've actually managed to drive a wedge me and my sons."

Sengoku and Akainu glared back at Whitebeard.

"Pops! Tell us it's not true!"

"AAAAAGH! I'M HIT!"

"Pops…you'd never really betray us, would you?!"

"Answer us, Pops!"

"Do you really think," Whitebeard began, "that I would ever sell out my own sons?!"

**THWAM! KRAK! KRAK! KROOM!** Whitebeard punched the air, causing the icebergs around him to shatter until they sank below the sea.

"So," Sengoku said, "you've created an escape route for your pirates. Very clever, old boy."

"IF YOU REALLY ARE PIRATES," Whitebeard boomed, "THEN DECIDE NOW WHO YOU BELIVE!"

The pirates stared in shock at what Whitebeard had done.

"He shattered the walls of ice!"

"Our ships can sail clearly!"

"We can escape whenever we want to!"

Soon, the pirates cheered.

"POPS~!" they cried.

"I knew it!" shouted Bizarre. "I knew it was all a lie! The Marines tried to turn us against Pops!"

Crocodile stared at Whitebeard with a deadpan expression.

_Weakling, am I?_ Whitebeard questioned in thought. _I see you don't mince words. Still, you expect too much of me, Crocodile! I'm just one man with one heart._

He place a hand on his wound.

_They can call me a fiend and a monster all they want, but Stefan and I can't remain the strongest, forever! If I can help one young pirate achieve his destiny, then my life will be complete. Isn't that enough?!_

"Pops…!" Ace whispered.

Squard fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

"IF YOU'RE COMING WITH ME," Whitebeard bellowed, "THEN YOU CAN KISS YOUR LIVES GOODBYE!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAHH~!" The pirates cheered, once more.

"Stefan! It's time!" Whitebeard said. "Let's go!"

**GRRAAARF!** Stefan barked.

_I'd follow you anywhere, Edward!_ he thought.

With that, the world's strongest man and strongest dog jumped into the fray.

"STAND YOUR GROUND!" Sengoku cried. "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN AND BEAST IN THE WORLD ARE CHARGING US!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	18. The Man Who Shook the World

**Ch. 18- The Man Who Shook the World**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Squard had been tricked into betraying Whitebeard by Akainu, believing that Whitebeard means to have all of his allies be killed by the Marines. Whitebeard proves that he will never turn on his back on his children by creating an escape route for the pirates. With that, he and Stefan finally leap into battle.

**THOOM!** Whitebeard and Stefan landed in the battlefield together.

"Whitebeard and Stefan are finally going to fight!" shouted one of the pirates.

**GRRAAAAAAAAAAAWWR!** Stefan roared.

Sengoku glared at the man and his dog, and Whitebeard glared back at him.

"Follows Pops' lead!" shouted one of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Clear a path for Pops and Stefan!" exclaimed another.

"That foolish Squard," said Decalvan Brother #1. "Falling for the Marines' trick and stabbing Pops like that! How could he be so stupid?! How could he EVER doubt Pops like that?!"

"THE MARINES ARE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!" the pirates declared.

"LET'S LYNCH EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM!" roared another.

Meanwhile, on the _Moby Dick_, Squard has fallen to his hands and knees, bawling.

"What in the hell have I done?!" he questioned to no one in particular. "Pops! Ace! I'm SO sorry! Dammit! Dammit, all! How could I have ever doubted Pops…when I love him SO MUCH?!"

"Shut up, Squard!"

Squard looked up to see Marco, standing over him.

"Are you just gonna sit there and cry like a baby?" he asked. "Or are you gonna stand up, suck it up, and go back out there and fight?"

Squard stared at Marco, then looked back out to the battlefield, but his gaze is mostly on Ace, who stared back at him.

"Is the encirclement wall ready, yet?!" Sengoku asked.

"My apologies, sir! The ice is much thicker than we thought, sir!"

Meanwhile, Luffy and Blizzard are still running to the plaza, but they stopped to look at Whitebeard.

"Wow!" Luffy said. "That old man is awesome! He got stabbed in the gut, but he's still standing!"

_Well, what did you expect from the world's strongest man?!_ Blizzard asked in thought.

"Luffy!" Jimbei called.

"Oh, right!" Luffy said. "C'mon, Blizzard! We have to get to Ace, and fast!"

With that, he and Blizzard continued to run with Ivankov and Jimbei following behind them.

"Jimbei Boy, look!" Ivankov exclaimed. "Our enemies have all gathered at the plaza!"

"I can see that, Ivankov!" Jimbei said. "I have a bad feeling about this, but Pops and Stefan are making their move! We can't stop now!"

Meanwhile, the Marines continued to try and fight off Whitebeard and Stefan.

**SMASH!** Stefan threw his paw down, crushing at least 6 Marines underneath. **THWAM!** He stomped his right hind-paw on two other Marine K9s, crushing them with his weight.

"Even the dogs are no match for him!" cried one of the Marines.

"Shoot him!" a Marine captain shouted.

**BANG! BANG! BANG!** The Marines fired their rifles at Stefan, who seemed unfazed by the bullets. The beastly dog turned to look at his foes, and then, **CHOMP!** He bit down and crunched two more Marines in his massive jaws.

"Good dog, Stefan!" Whitebeard praised.

**GRROOWF!** Stefan barked.

Suddenly, **THOOM!** The pirates are blown away as another Marine entered the battlefield.

"Look out!" cried one of the pirates. "It's John Giant!"

"I won't let you enter the plaza, Whitebeard Pirates!" boomed John, slashing his katana. He then spotted Whitebeard, and charged at him.

Stefan was about to charge him, as well, but Whitebeard raised a hand up.

"Stand down, old friend," he said. "Leave this to me."

Stefan backed away, leaving Whitebeard to face John alone.

**KLANG!** John's katana clashed with Whitebeard's glaive.

"Get out of my way, John!" Whitebeard shouted.

"You shall not pass!" John exclaimed.

"GURARARARARA!" Whitebeard laughed. "Have it your way…"

**THUNK!** He planted his glaive into the ground, and then, **SHUK! SHUK!** He seemed to grab the air around him. **KRUK!** He flexed his arms, and then, he gave a mighty tug.

"GRRAAAAAAH!" he roared.

All of a sudden, the ground seemed to sway and tilt to the side.

"Huh?!" John muttered. "M-my footing!"

Soon, Marines, dogs, and pirates were rolling around on the ground, which shook and rumbled.

"W-w-WHOOOOOOOAAA!" Luffy cried as he began to fall as the island continued to tilt.

_Luffy!_ Blizzard cried in his head.

**CHONK!** He bit down on Luffy's hand, but not too hard for his teeth to puncture the skin. He hooked his claws into the ground in an effort to hang on tight.

Marines fell from their positions on the walls, and pirates were trying to keep their balance.

"Whatever you do, don't get too close to Pops!" shouted one of the pirates.

"Whoa!" one of the Marines cried.

"We've got more than just an earthquake to worry about! LOOK!"

**RRRMMMMMMMBB!** It is revealed the whole entire island, even the sea, is tilting and shaking! Even the ships didn't stand a chance!

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Doflamingo laughed. "That old geezer is unstoppable!"

The Marines and pirates continued to teeter and totter all over the place.

"WAH! I can't stay on my feet!"

"When are these quakes gonna stop?!"

Luffy and Blizzard are still hanging on for dear life.

_Hang in there, Luffy!_ Blizzard thought, claws still hooked into the ice. _Hang in there! Hang- WHOA!_

Blizzard couldn't hang on tight enough and began to fall towards the water, taking Luffy with him, but then, **WHAP!** A webbed hand appeared and grabbed Blizzard before he and Luffy could take the plunge.

"Jimbei!" Luffy cried.

"You need to learn to get a better grip on things!" Jimbei said. "You included, Blizzard!"

_Normally, I'd tell you to stow it,_ Blizzard thought, _but in this case, I'll keep that in mind!_

Inside the plaza, the buildings began to collapse due to the quake.

"I pray that Luffy's all right!" Hancock said to herself.

Soon, **SPLASH!** Giant waves appeared in the sea, threatening to drown the entire island.

**KRAAKK!** Whitebeard punched the air, not only causing yet another quake, but also hitting John. **PLURT!** The giant coughed up blood, and behind him, a huge shockwave formed, and headed straight for the plaza.

**BOOM!** The shockwave caused one of the walls to crumble.

"LOOK OUT!" the Marines cried as they fell.

"Yeah!" one of the pirates cheered. "Go get 'em, Pops!"

"Look!" cried another. "It's headed for the scaffold!"

"Yeah!" cheered one more. "Break it down, Pops!"

Sengoku stared on, seeming amazingly calm about the attack.

**KABOOM!** The shockwave hits, and the pirates broke into cheers. It appeared that victory was theirs, but then…

"Hey! Look!"

Everyone looked up and saw that the platform is completely unharmed.

"No way!" one of the pirates cried. "It missed!"

"Something must've deflected it," said another, "but what?!"

It is revealed that the Admirals had somehow deflected the shockwave from the platform, simply by holding their hands up.

"The Three Admirals!"

"This happened because you idiots didn't get the wall up, fast enough," said Aokiji.

"It's because of your godforsaken ice, Kuzan," said Akainu.

"Humph," Kizaru scoffed. "In that case, why don't you melt it, Sakazuki?"

Meanwhile, back with Luffy, Blizzard, and Jimbei, the tilting had finally stopped, and they regained their footing.

"That was a close one!" Luffy said. "If it weren't for you, Jimbei, Blizzard and I would've fallen into the water below the ice!" He stood up, holding the side of his stomach. "Old Man Whitebeard's hitting everyone around him!"

"His crew knows of his power," said Jimbei. "That's why they took cover!"

**Huff! Huff! Huff!** Blizzard panted.

_If this keeps up,_ he thought, _I may not have the energy to go on. My tail is broken, and if I push myself too far…I won't be able to protect Luffy._

"FIRE!"

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The Marines fired their cannons at the pirates, but still they went on with the charge.

"Ignore the cannons!" one of the pirates exclaimed. "Keep going with the charging!"

Stefan looked at Whitebeard, who calmly petted his dog on the head while glaring back at the platform.

The pirates roared as they continued to charge into battle.

"My, my," Kizaru said. "How scary."

"They sound pretty pissed, don't they?" questioned Aokiji.

At the bay, some pirates are trying to escape from the Pacifistas.

"C'mon, run!" cried another pirate. "Shake 'em off your tail! If we stay back here to fight, then we won't be able to help Pops and Stefan!"

"KISHISHISHISHISHI!" Moria cackled. "Now THIS is a show!"

Luffy looked up at a while and grinned.

"Since that wall is clear," he began, "it means I'll be able to climb up and get to Ace! C'mon, Blizzard! Get on my back!"

_Like I have a choice?_ Blizzard questioned in thought before he climbed onto Luffy's back, piggyback style.

**BWOING! WHAP!** Luffy stretched his arms out and grabbed the wall.

"Okay," he said. "Gum…GUUUUM…ROCK- huh?!"

**KRASH!** Something emerged from the ice, causing Luffy to let go of the wall.

"Hey!" Luffy cried. "What's going on?!"

_A wall?!_ Blizzard thought.

**KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!** The pirates watched in shock and confusion as another wall appeared from the ice below them.

"Take THAT!" a pirate shouted, trying to smash the wall with his spiked club, but instead, it was his club that ended up getting smashed.

"Dammit!" cursed one of the pirates. "We're surrounded!"

"What are the Marines doing?!" shouted another.

**KABOOM!** Another pirate fired his bazooka at the wall, but no matter how many times he fired, it just wouldn't budge.

"Shit!" he cursed. "This steel must be really thick!"

"So this is the encirclement wall they talked about?!" questioned another pirate.

"The Marines are trying to kill us from a distance! Those cowards!" exclaimed another.

**KA-CHAK!** The Marines pointed their cannons down at the pirates.

"Oh, no! They're getting ready to fire their cannons at us!"

At that moment, Sengoku noticed that one wall has not been raised, yet.

"What's going on over there?!" he shouted. "Hurry up and finish raising the wall!"

"We can't, sir!" shouted a Marine. "Oz's body is weighing it down! His blood has knocked out the power!"

"WHAT?!" Sengoku yelled.

Down below, it is revealed that Oz Jr.'s body is lying on the one spot where the last wall is supposed to be.

"Little Oz Jr.…" Ace muttered.

_Now's our chance,_ Whitebeard thought.

"This may not be the ideal situation," said Sengoku, "but commence the attack, Akainu!"

"Yes, sir," Akainu said.

**GLUB! GLUB!** His arms began to form into magma, and he raised his fists into the air.

"Meteor VOLCANO!"

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** Akainu fired fists of magma into the air.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Magma?"

Blizzard then noticed that one of the magma fists is falling towards him and Luffy. He gasped and tackled Luffy out of the way, just as the magma came plummeting down into the bay.

"MELT THE ICE AND TAKE AWAY THEIR FOOTING!" Sengoku shouted.

Everyone watched, horrified, as the magma came crashing down on the _Moby Dick_, completely destroying her.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	19. Little Oz Jr's Path

**Ch. 19- Oz Jr.'s Path**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Whitebeard and Stefan have finally made their move to fight and show just how powerful they truly are, the former literally shaking the island to its core with his Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers. Luffy and Blizzard hurry to the execution scaffold, only to be halted by an encirclement wall the Marines are using to prevent Ace's rescue. The Marines didn't count on one thing, though: Oz Jr.'s body opening a path for the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies by keeping the last part of the wall down. Even though he claimed that it was not the ideal situation, Sengoku orders Akainu to attack, which causes the _Moby Dick_ to be destroyed.

Back on the Sabaody Archipelago, the spectators are confused as to why the broadcast had suddenly been cut off.

"What happened?!"

"Why did they cut off the video feed?!"

"Show us what's going on at Marineford! Come on!"

"I told you, my brother's fighting in that war! I gotta know if he's all right!"

"I'm sorry!" said a Marine captain. "There's a problem with the Transponder Snails on the other side! There's nothing we can do about it, from here!"

"Is it true?!" asked a man. "Did Whitebeard really make a secret deal with the Marines?!"

"Did he really sell out his allies?!" asked a young woman.

"You have to let us see what's going on over there! Please!" cried another man.

"**It's unlikely that the video feed will be restored!"** a news reporter spoke into a Transponder Snail.

From afar, familiar shadowy figures are watching the events unfold.

"Humph! The Marines are pulling one hell of a stupid trick," said Killer.

"The world's hanging in the balance!" exclaimed one of the spectators.

"I guess the show's over," said Kidd in a nonchalant voice.

Somewhere else, others are also watching the spectacle.

"I sailed all the way back here to see this war," said another shadowy figure, "and now the Video Transponder Snails are on the fritz?!"

"Of course not."

The men turned to look at Apoo.

"Huh?!" asked one of them. "But isn't that what happened?!"

"You people are nothing but fools," said Apoo. "They cut off the video feed because they want everyone to be left in the dark. Society in general, as well as us pirates!"

Nearby, Drake watched in silence.

"Whitebeard sold out his own people?!" questioned Capone as he walked away. "Ridiculous! His loyalty to his men, even to his dog, is legendary!"

"Godfather!"

Urouge chortled in his throat.

"Let's go," he said.

Not too far away, Hawkins is looking at his tarot cards.

"Hmm, let's see now," said Hawkins. "The chances of Whitebeard and Stefan surviving this war is…"

"WUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Bonney sobbed, trying to wipe away her tears.

"C-Captain Bonney?" asked one of her men. "Are you all right-"

"Shut up! Leave me alone!" Bonney snapped. "And somebody get me an ice cream or something!"

Nearby the coast of the archipelago…

"Bepo! Get the sub ready!"

"Aye-aye, Captain! Jean Bart, come with me."

"All right."

"Jupiter! Get ready to fly."

**RUFF!**

XXX

Back at Marineford, Akainu continued his attack on the pirates, firing fists of magma into the air and causing them to come rocketing down towards the ground.

**KABOOM!** The fists collided the _Moby Dick_, as well as nearly hitting nearby pirates.

**FSSSSSS~!** The magma ended up melting the ice that the pirates were using as a foothold. Without the ice, they ended up falling into the water.

"No!" cried one of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Not our ship!"

"The ship that carried us for decades!" exclaimed another.

"Not the _Moby Dick_!" yelled one more.

Whitebeard, Stefan, and Marco stared on as their ship went up in flames, the first of the three heaving a sigh and closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Crap!" cursed Curiel as he fired his bazooka. "Is there really nothing we can do?!"

**BAM!** Curiel and his men are blown away by one of the magma fists.

"AGH!" cried one of the pirates that had fallen into the water. "It burns!"

"The magma's making the sea boil!" said another pirate.

"Hey! Look up there!" exclaimed one more, pointing at the encirclement wall.

**CHAK!** The pirates looked up and saw that the Marines had started to aim their cannons at them. Before they could react fast enough, **BOOM! BOOM!** The cannons fired and blasted the pirates, causing them to scream in agony.

Some of them barely managed to escape.

"The way to the plaza is blocked!"

"We'll be stranded in the water if we don't do something!"

Whitebeard raised his fist, and **WHAM! KRAK!** His mighty fist cracked the air, sending a huge tremor towards the wall. **KRUNK!** All the punch made was a huge dent in the wall, but the wall itself did not break. However, a tremor still resulted from it, and even Sengoku had to brace himself.

"The wall! It won't shatter!" cried one of the pirates.

"Dammit!" cursed another. "Not even Pops can destroy it!"

"That's no ordinary steel," said Fossa.

Whitebeard seethed.

"I figured it wasn't going to be that easy," he said.

_Either the Marines are getting smarter or we need to step up our game,_ Stefan thought.

**KABOOM!** Another magma fist hit the ground, blowing more pirates away. **BOOM! BOOM! BABOOM!** More cannons had been fired. **ARF! ARF! ARF! CHOMP!** Dogs barked and viciously bit pirates.

"**The operation is going as planned,"** said Sengoku through a Transponder Snail. **"We will now perform the execution…of Portgas D. Ace!"**

Ace looked up once he heard Sengoku utter those words.

"KISHISHISHISHI!" Moria laughed.

The rest of the Warlords remained silent.

"Did you hear what he said?!" one of the pirates questioned. "We can't let them kill Ace, now! Not when we're so close!"

"There's only one thing to do!" said another. "We have to take the path that Little Oz Jr. made for us!"

"You're right!" another pirate agreed. "But watch your back! The Marines are definitely waiting there for us!"

"Jimbei Boy!" Ivankov called to the former Warlord. "Where are Straw Hat Boy and White Wolf Boy?!"

"They were right beside me, a moment ago!" Jimbei answered. Just then, he spotted them, trying to climb through Little Oz Jr.'s hair. "There they are!"

"No way!" Ivankov gasped. "Stop, Straw Hat Boy! It's obviously a trap! Don't do it!"

"FIRE!"

**KABOOM!** An explosion went off, followed by a familiar cry of pain, as well as the howl of a wounded animal.

"I TOLD VYOU!" Ivankov shouted before he and Jimbei ran to Luffy and Blizzard's aid. "There's no way that the Marines wouldn't leave the one way in undefended! It had to be a trap!"

"Why must you be so reckless?!" asked Jimbei.

_Your guess…is as good as mine,_ Blizzard thought, struggling to stand.

**Huff! Huff!** Luffy panted heavily.

"I can't just sit on my ass and do nothing!" he said. "If I don't do something quick, they're gonna kill Ace!"

"You're right about that," Jimbei said "That gap is the only opening in that wall of steel, thanks to Oz! We must use it to our advantage, somehow!"

"True," agreed Ivankov, "but only a few of us can be able to pass through that opening at a time! Each group that does will have to face the full force of the Marines!"

**Huff! Huff!** Luffy still panted before he sat up.

"Jimbei!" he called to him. "I need a quick favor!"

"Hmm?" Jimbei hummed, inquisitively.

Meanwhile, **THOOM!** A humungous hand slammed into the ground, blowing away any Marines in its wake.

"Oh, no!" one of the Marines cried. "He's alive!"

"That last shock must've woken him up!" exclaimed another.

It is revealed that Little Oz Jr. is still alive, for he is trying to stand on his only remaining foot, but could only go so far as to get to his hands and knees. It is clear that even if he is alive, he is still weak from his injuries.

"Look! It's Little Oz Jr.!"

"He's still alive!"

**HUFF! HUFF!** Little Oz Jr. wheezed as he looked up at Ace.

"A…Ace," he choked out.

"OZ!" Ace cried.

"Shoot him down!" cried one of the Marines. "He may be up, but he's still fatally injured!"

"Leave him to me."

The Marines turned and saw Kizaru approach them.

"Admiral Kizaru!" they cried.

"At a time like this," the Admiral began, "a shot in the head is all that is needed."

**SHEEN!** Kizaru's finger glowed. Little Oz Jr. continued to pant and wheeze, trying not to go back into unconsciousness.

Suddenly, **SPLOOSH!** Something leaped up into the air.

"What the hell is that?!" asked a Marine.

"Is that…a pillar of water?!" questioned another.

**SPLOOSH!** The pillar of water landed…inside the plaza. It almost drowned some of the Marines that were already stationed there.

"H-hey!" Coby said. "Isn't that-"

Hancock gasped.

"It's…it's…!"

It is revealed to be Luffy and Blizzard, the former of whom is holding a broken mizzenmast from one of the battleships…and they are both standing right in front of the three Admirals.

"It's Straw Hat Luffy and White Wolf Blizzard!" a Marine cried.

"My, my," Aokiji said. "You and that mutt of yours managed to make it all the way here, eh, Straw Hat? Even so…you're not getting up on this platform, just yet."

"You certainly are persistent," Akainu said, "son of Dragon. Either that or just plain foolish."

"These two are quite a scary pair," Kizaru said, jokingly.

Luffy looked up at the Admirals, panting and growling.

"LUFFY!" Ace cried.

_It's no use,_ he thought. _He and that dog of his are gonna die, here! Dammit, where are the rest of his friends, for crying out loud?!_

Sengoku looked on, silently, and Garp seethed at his grandson's recklessness.

"Give…Ace…BACK!" Luffy shouted.

**WHOOSH!** He threw the mizzenmast towards the Admirals, but then, **KREKK! KRINK!** Aokiji put his hand on the mizzenmast, causing it to be frozen, but even so, that proved that still wasn't enough to stop Luffy.

"Blizzard! Throw me!" Luffy ordered.

_You got it!_ Blizzard thought.

**CHOMP! WHOOSH!** Blizzard bit down on the back of Luffy's vest and threw him into the air.

"Now, Gum GUUUUUUUM…STAMP GATLING!"

**WHOMP-WHOMP-WHOMP-WHOMP! KROOSH!** Luffy stamped his feet down in a rapid-fire motion, smashing the frozen mizzenmast into pieces.

On the other side of the wall, the pirates made an alarming realization.

"Hey! The kid and the dog that just went over the wall! It's Ace's little bro!"

"Humph," Whitebeard scoffed. "That boy is just as foolhardy and reckless as his brother." He then turned to look at Little Oz Jr., who is still staggering.

"Oz!" he called to him. "Stay right where you are, all right?! We need your help!"

"Pops…" Little Oz Jr. muttered.

"Jozu!" Whitebeard called. "It's time for us to play our trump card!"

"Right, Pops!" said the 3rd Division Leader.

"Get everyone ready!" Whitebeard shouted. "We're going to storm the plaza!"

The pirates roared into the sky at that order.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	20. Raid

**Ch. 20- Raid**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, the Whitebeard Pirates found themselves trapped in an encirclement wall the Marines used to make their plan a success, but they use the path that Little Oz Jr. had made for them to get through. The rest of the Eleven Supernovas begin to make their move after the broadcast of the war had been cut off from the rest of the world. With Jimbei's help, Luffy and Blizzard finally manage to enter the plaza, only to end up facing the three Admirals. As the two Straw Hats make their attack, Whitebeard orders that the pirates begin to play their "trump card", as they are getting ready to storm the plaza and rescue Ace.

Now, Luffy is still trying to attack the Admirals, but the chunks of ice from the frozen mizzenmast just fazed right through them, due to their Logia-type Devil Fruits.

However, upon taking a closer look, some of the Vice-Admirals noticed that perhaps it was just a diversion.

"Gear…SECOND!"

Luffy disappeared and reappeared behind the Admirals, and Blizzard followed not too far behind him, but then, a flash of light appeared beside them, and they saw Kizaru, swinging his leg towards them.

"Hmm…" Kizaru hummed. "Too slow, boy."

**THWAM!** Luffy is kicked away by Kizaru.

"AAAAAAAGH!" Luffy cried in pain.

**KRASH!** He crashed into the ground.

_LUFFY, NO!_ Blizzard yelled, mentally.

"You're next, pooch."

**BAM!** Kizaru kicked Blizzard away next, causing him to end up crashing next to Luffy.

Luffy coughed up blood as he staggered to his feet. Even if he is made of rubber, it is clear that the battle is beginning to catch up to him. Not just him, but Blizzard as well, and as the latter got to his paws, **PLURT!** A huge gash appeared on his side, and blood came cascading out: a result of the injuries he got from his brief battle with Ken.

"Blizzard!" Luffy cries.

_Dammit…_ Blizzard cursed in thought. _Not now…!_

Meanwhile, on the scaffold, Sengoku turned to the executioners.

"Do it!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" the executioners answered, and raised their blades, prepared to slice Ace's head clean off his shoulder.

Luffy gasped in horror.

_Fire Fist!_ Blizzard shouted in thought.

Ace closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.

"ACE, NO!" Luffy shouted.

Just then, **SHWAK!** The executioners are suddenly struck down by air-compressed blades, which caused their blades to be broken, as well.

**KLUNK! WHUMP!** The executioners fell off the platform and towards the ground.

"What the-?!" Sengoku gasped. "Who the hell did that?!" He then spotted the culprit. "You! We thought that you wouldn't interfere because of your grudge against Whitebeard…Crocodile!"

In the battlefield, it is revealed that Crocodile is the one behind killing the two executioners and is busy fighting off the Marines.

"Oh," Marco said, landing on a nearby building. "Looks like I missed my chance."

"Huh?!" Luffy muttered. "Croc?!"

**CHINK!** Two Marines pointed their sabers at Luffy, who backed away, but then, **CHOMP!** Blizzard bit down on the Marines' faces, one-by-one.

"I'll erase that dying old man later," Crocodile declared. "I don't want to see any one of you damned Marines celebrating before that!"

**SHWAK!** A Marine cut Crocodile's head off with his saber. However, he had forgotten that since Crocodile is a sandman, then his attack would mean nothing.

"Oh, come on, Croc!" Doflamingo called.

**SPLAK!** Crocodile's head landed on the ground, turning into sand.

"Doflamingo!" Crocodile exclaimed.

"You rejected me and now you're joining Whitebeard?!" Doflamingo questioned. "I'm jealous!" He laughed.

**FSHHHH!** Crocodile's head reformed on his shoulders, and he shot a glare at Doflamingo.

"Who the hell said anything about me joining anyone?!" he asked.

**KLANK!** Crocodile's hook clashed with the sole of Doflamingo's shoe.

Meanwhile, **PLIP! PLIP!** Blood dripped from a blade as cold as ice…literally. Aokiji stood over Luffy, who clutched his arm, writhing in pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAGH!" Luffy screamed. "DAMMIT ALL!"

"I owe your grandfather a great debt, Straw Hat," said Aokiji, "but you leave me no choice. You chose this path of death yourself. Sorry."

"You dog!" Hancock shouted. "How dare you strike Luffy like that!"

Aokiji raised his blade, attempting to deliver the finishing blow, but then, **CHONK!**

"AGH!" Aokiji cried out in sudden pain, and, looking down, he saw that it is Blizzard, biting down on his leg…and he actually managed to make him bleed.

**GRRRRR~!** Blizzard growled.

"Why you-!" Aokiji said. "GET OFF!"

**SHUNK!** He stabbed Blizzard in the right front leg with his ice-blade.

**YOWL!** Blizzard yelped in pain before he let go.

"BLIZZARD!" Luffy cried.

Aokiji approached Blizzard, and raised his blade, once more. Blizzard looked up and snarled at the Admiral.

All of a sudden, **THWAK!** A bluish flame appeared and kicked Aokiji away.

"Admiral Aokiji!" cried the Marines.

"Look!" shouted one. "It's…the leader of the 1st Division, Marco!"

"Three of them managed to break through the blockade!" exclaimed another.

"Those Devil Fruit users are jumping over the wall!" cried one more.

Marco stood before Luffy and Blizzard, and then looked down at the two Straw Hats.

"Hey," he said. "You okay?"

"I…I think so," Luffy said as he struggled to get to his feet.

"You sure about that?" Marco asked. "You and that dog of yours really took a beating on the way here. Maybe you should leave the rest to us."

"We've been through worse," Luffy said. "Nothing will stop me from saving Ace!" He then turned to Blizzard, who is also trying to get to his paws.

"Blizzard, can you still run?" Luffy asked.

**Huff! Huff!** Blizzard panted heavily.

_I…I think I can,_ the wolf-dog thought.

"If you think that you can't make it, then go with pineapple-head so he can have a doctor look at you!" Luffy said.

_Pineapple-head?_ Marco thought, sweat-dropping.

"But if you think that you can still keep up with me, then come on!" Luffy said. "We gotta hurry and save Ace before it's too late!"

Blizzard nodded.

"Okay, then," Luffy said. "Let's get going, and fast!"

With that, Luffy and Blizzard continued onward, leaving Marco to watch them.

_That kid is definitely like his brother,_ he thought. _He's got guts and recklessness…but here…those things are the very things that might get him killed, and if we let him die, Ace will probably never forgive us._

"Fleet Admiral!" one of the Marines cried. "The pirates trapped in the bay are up to something!"

Outside the plaza, it is revealed that the pirates are trying to swim towards the wall.

"Come on! Hurry!" yelled one. "Swim to Little Oz Jr.!"

"We have to get to the plaza, and fast!" exclaimed another.

**SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!** The pirates swam as hard and as fast as they could towards the shore.

"The pirates are getting desperate! Quick, guard the breach in the encirclement wall, at once!"

"They have no ship and they have no foothold!" declared Vice-Admiral Strawberry. "Those pirate fools have gone mad with panic! They're nothing but ducks in a barrel, now! Fire at will!"

"Yes, sir!"

As the Marines aimed their cannons at the pirates, once again, there is a shadow beneath the water.

**GLUB! GLUB! SPLASH!** Another ship emerged from the water!

"What the hell?!" the Marines shouted.

"Quick!" cried Atmos. "Grab a-hold! Get on the ship, as fast as you can!"

The pirates quickly scurried up on the ships.

"It can't be!" a Marine said. "Another ship!"

"Another coated ship has appeared!" exclaimed another.

"Oh, no!" cried one of the Vice-Admirals. "It was hiding in the water all along!"

"What?!" Sengoku questioned.

"I never said I'd brought all my ships," Whitebeard said.

Stefan snickered at his side.

**SPLAP! SPLAP! SPLAP! SPLAP!** The ship began to speed towards the plaza- or

"It's a paddle ship!" cried one Marine. "It's heading straight for the plaza!"

"Quick! Sink it like we did to the _Moby Dick_!" ordered another.

**BOOM! BOOM! BABOOM!** The cannons are fired, but their shots could not reach, and that's when the Marines noticed something else.

"No! Cease fire! Forget about the ship!"

"Fire at Oz Jr.! Quickly!"

"What?! But why?!"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Too late now!" Whitebeard exclaimed.

**WHAP!** Little Oz Jr. turned and grabbed the ship.

"Let's go, men!" he yelled.

"Hang on tight, you guys!" exclaimed one of the pirates. "This is gonna be one hell of a ride!"

"GRAAAAAAAARGH!" Little Oz Jr. roared, and with a forceful tug, **KROOSH!** He pulls the ship right into the plaza!

The Marines screamed as some of them either ran or became crushed by the vessel.

"He's pulled the ship ashore!" cried one Marines.

"They've broken through the encirclement wall!" shouted another Marine.

"Dammit!" Garp cursed. "They've gone right through that little hole like a bunch of mice! Now the encirclement wall may work against us!"

Soon, the pirates broke into cheers, once more.

"We've finally reached the plaza!"

"Save Ace!"

"Take down Marine Headquarters, once and for all!"

"POPS!" Ace cried.

"Whitebeard!" Sengoku shouted.

"Is that head of yours still on your shoulders, Ace?!" Whitebeard questioned.

**BOOM! KABOOM!** The Marines fired their cannons at Little Oz Jr.

"No!"

"Little Oz Jr.!"

Little Oz Jr. panted and huffed as he tried to stay conscious, just long enough for him to hang on the scaffold.

"A…Ace…" he coughed. "I…I'm gonna…!"

**THUD!** Little Oz Jr. landed on the ground, face first, finally going back into unconsciousness.

"LITTLE OZ JR.~!" the pirates cried.

"OZ!" Ace cried.

The pirates screamed, mournfully, at the fall of their humungous comrade.

"Whitebeard and Stefan have entered the plaza!" the Marines cried.

"Stefan! My sons!" Whitebeard boomed. "Get back!"

**VMM!** The blade of his glaive glowed, and then, **KRASH!** With a powerful swing, he sent the Marines flying away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" the Marines screamed.

While some, like Vice-Admiral Momonga and the Marine K9 Unit, seemed shaken by the Whitebeard's tremendous display of strength, others, like the Admirals, seemed unnerved by it.

Whitebeard took in a deep inhale and then he boomed out, "ALL RIGHT, MEN! WE'RE GOING TO SAVE ACE IF IT'S THE LAST THING WE EVER DO! AND AFTER THAT, WE'LL DESTROY THE MARINES, ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" the pirates cheered.

_**AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Stefan howled into the air.

As the pirates charged towards the platform…

"Garp," Sengoku said.

"Yeah, Sengoku?" asked Garp.

**SWUP!** Sengoku began to unroll his sleeves.

"It looks like…we won't be getting off so easy, this time," he said.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	21. Marine HQ Oris Plaza

**Ch. 21- Marine HQ: Oris Plaza**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last left Luffy and Blizzard, our heroes barely managed to get passed the three Admirals with Marco's help. However, their exhaustion is clearly catching up to them. The Whitebeards Pirates finally enter the plaza, with Little Oz Jr.'s help. Whitebeard makes it clear that he intends to save Ace if it's the last thing he does, and it appears that Sengoku and Garp are finally going to enter the battle.

Right now, the plaza is under siege by the pirates.

"Destroy Marine Headquarters!" the pirates cried as they continued on with their attack.

**KLANG!** Swords and axes clashed.

**BANG! BANG! KABOOM!** Guns and cannons are fired.

**WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! CHOMP!** Dogs barked and bit at the pirates, determined not to let them get any further.

Even though they didn't seem to be showing, the Marines' morale is steadily dropping.

"Don't get to close to me!" Whitebeard called to his men.

"Right, Pops!"

As the pirates stood clear, **VWMMM~!** Whitebeard prepared his attack, once again.

"Look out!" cried a Marine. "He's gonna fire another one!"

"Everybody, stand clear!" shouted another.

"Ice BALL!"

**KRINK!** Whitebeard and Stefan ended up getting frozen in a block of ice by Aokiji.

"Oh, no! Pops! Stefan!"

"Whitebeard and Stefan have been frozen!" said a Marine.

Suddenly, **KRAK!** The ice began to shatter.

"Humph," Aokiji grunted. "I guess it was a lost cause, after all. Vibrations don't seem to freeze very well."

**KRESH!** Whitebeard and Stefan broke free from the ice, the latter shaking off the cold it gave off.

**Brrr~!** Stefan shivered.

"You all right there, Stefan?" asked Whitebeard.

_Just fine, Edward,_ Stefan thought. _That ice sure was chilly. Good thing I've got such a thick fur coat._

"And now for you!" Whitebeard exclaimed.

**WHOOM!** He stabbed Aokiji with his glaive, right in the chest!

"Whoa!" cried one of the pirates. "Did you see that?!"

"Pops stabbed Aokiji with pure Haki!" yelled another.

"Is Aokiji dead?!" asked one more.

"Of course I'm not, morons!" Aokiji answered as he put his hands on Whitebeard's glaive. **KRAK! KRAK!** The glaive started to freeze, and soon, several ice spears formed around Aokiji, aimed at Whitebeard and Stefan.

"Ice Block PARTISAN!"

Just when Aokiji was about to throw the spears at the Emperor and his dog, **KROOOM!** A fist, literally as hard as diamond, punched Aokiji, causing him to shatter.

"Pops! Take Stefan and go on ahead!"

"Thank you, Jozu," said Whitebeard as he and Stefan continued on.

Aokiji looked up and saw Jozu standing over him, half of his body turned to diamond.

"Diamond Jozu," the Admiral hissed as his body became whole once again.

As the battle raged on, Luffy and Blizzard continued to make their way to the platform, but it appeared they were making little progress.

**WEEZ…WEEZ…!** Luffy panted as he ran as fast as he could.

"H-hang on, Ace!" he huffed. "I'm coming!"

**Huff! Huff! Huff! Huff!** Blizzard panted as he tried his hardest to keep up with Luffy, but in the end, his injuries finally seemed to catch up with him. **FWUMP!** Blizzard collapsed on the cold, hard ground, panting heavily with his tongue lulling out of his mouth.

"Blizzard!" Luffy cried.

_Go on without me!_ Blizzard thought. _If you try save me, they'll kill Fire Fist! Just go!_

As Blizzard lay helpless on the ground, some Marines surrounded him, armed with rifles. Luffy gasped, realizing what they are about to do, and ran to his aid.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" he shouted. "Gum Gum GATLING!"

**BAP! BAP! BAP!** Luffy sent the Marines flying with a flurry of punches.

_You idiot, didn't you hear me?_ Blizzard thought. _I said to leave me here!_

**WHAP!** Luffy hoisted Blizzard up and held him to his side.

"I am NOT losing Ace," he started, "and I am definitely NOT losing you, either, Blizzard!"

With that, Luffy turned and ran to the scaffold, once again. However, before he could take so much as two more steps, **SHWAK!** Momonga tripped him with his katana!

**SHWUMP! FWUMP!** Luffy fell to the ground, face-first, and Blizzard fell out of his grasp not long after.

"B…Blizzard…!" Luffy gasped out as he tried to get to his feet.

Blizzard made a soft, pained whine, but he could not find the strength to stand. All he could manage to do is crawl, but even that appeared to put the wolf-dog's body under stress.

As Momonga and Dalmatian, in his full animal form, surrounded Luffy, the rubber-man jumped on his hands.

"Gum Gum STAMP!"

"SORU!"

**SWOOSH! POOF!** The two Vice-Admirals disappeared before Luffy could land his attack.

"GEPPOU!"

Blizzard looked up and saw Momonga, up above, kicking the air repeatedly in order to stay afloat.

"SORU!"

**POOF! SHWASH!** Momonga disappeared, and then reappeared, once more, and cut Luffy with his katana.

"AAAAAAGH!" Luffy cried in pain.

**GRRAAAAAWWWWRR!** Blizzard managed to summon one last bit of his energy to leap up in a feeble attempt to bite Momonga.

"RANKYAKU!"

**SWASH! YIPE!** Blizzard is struck by an air-compressed slash from Momonga's leg, causing him to yowl in pain. **THUMP!** The wolf-dog fell to the ground, defeated once again.

_Dammit,_ Blizzard cursed in thought. _Am I really this pathetic? How can I call myself a hellhound…if I can't muster the strength…to protect…Lu…_

This was all Blizzard could manage to think before he finally drifted into unconsciousness.

"Blizzard!" Luffy cried. "Blizzard, get up, buddy!"

No answer.

"Your dog has finally passed out from overexertion," said Dalmatian, "and soon, so shall you!"

"Screw you!" Luffy shouted. "Gear…SEC-"

"SHIGAN!"

**SHUNK!** Dalmatian stabbed Luffy with his finger.

**KOFF! WHUMP!** Luffy coughed up blood and fell to the ground, once more. However, he proved that he is still not one to give up, yet. Despite his exhaustion, Luffy tries with all his might to summon whatever strength he could muster, but as he looked up, all he could see is a flash light. **ZAP!** A familiar beam hit Luffy, right through his stomach. **BOOM!** An explosion soon followed after.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Luffy screamed before he landed on the ground, right next to Blizzard.

**Huff! Huff!** Luffy panted, drifting in and out of conscious. There was a ringing in his ears, his vision blurred, his lungs became weak, and he felt his stomach was about to purge out whatever contents are inside.

"Well, well," said Kizaru, who approached the two exhausted Straw Hat Pirates. "You and that mutt may have tenacity, Straw Hat Luffy, but that alone will not help you. It takes more than guts alone to save someone's life. You've got to have power to match."

**Huff! Huff! Wheeze!** Luffy panted again.

"A…Ace…!" he choked out.

"Such a pity that you have to die, here," said Kizaru. "Oh, but don't be sad. At least your dog will be joining, and soon, so will your brother. Ooh! And maybe I'll go out and find the rest of your crew to deliver my condolences, and while I'm at it, I might show that little orange-haired bitch of yours a real man."

Luffy raised his head up, glaring at Kizaru.

"Don't you…talk about Nami that w-"

**THWAK!** Before Luffy could finish that retort, Kizaru kicked him and Luffy away. **THUD!** The two getting up caught in the hand of Whitebeard.

"It's Ace's little brother and his dog!" said one of the Whitebeard Pirates.

Whitebeard held Luffy upside-down by his legs.

"A…Ace…" Luffy wheezed.

"Now, isn't that a shame?" Kizaru questioned, mockingly. "It's sad to see how low the mighty Whitebeard has sunk. How could a leader of your standing let a piece of trash like that lead your charge?"

"Shut your mouth, Borsalino, before I shut it for you, permanently," Whitebeard hissed.

**KOFF! KOFF!** Luffy coughed up blood, once again.

"Look, Jimbei Boy! There they are! Over there!"

"Huh?" muttered one of the pirates.

"Where's that voice coming from?" asked another.

Everyone looked up and saw Ivankov with an enlarged head, and standing next to him is Jimbei.

"Vyou see?!" Ivankov asked. "I told vyou this would happen!"

"Luffy! Blizzard!" Jimbei cried.

"Hey! I know that giant face!" exclaimed one of the pirates. "It's Ivankov of the Revolutionary Army!"

"Straw Hat Boy! White Wolf Boy!" Ivankov called. "Are vyou two still alive, down there?!"

At that moment, Luffy and Blizzard regained consciousness.

"I-Iva!" Luffy called to him. "O-Old Man Whitebeard! Put me and Blizzard down! Let us go!"

Whitebeard stared at the boy and his dog, and then, **WHUP!** He tossed them both to his men.

"Get these two to a doctor, right away," he ordered.

"Got it, Pops!" the pirates replied.

Luffy stood up and began to fight the pirates off.

"Back off!" he shouted. "Get away from me!"

"Hey, hey, kid! Stop! Calm down!"

"Yeah, don't do that! We gotta get you and that dog of yours to a doctor, or else you're gonna-"

"I DON'T HAVE TIME!" Luffy yelled. "YOU CAN TAKE BLIZZARD IF YOU HAVE TO, BUT JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I can't let anything stop me! I can't let them kill Ace! HE'S THE ONLY BROTHER I HAVE IN THE WORLD!"

He then turned to start running, once again.

"I gotta save him…no matter…ugh…!"

**FWUMP!** Luffy collapsed, again, and this time…he didn't get up.

"Luffy!" Jimbei called as he joined his side. "Luffy! Wake up! Come on, stay with me! HEY! SOMEONE GET THIS BOY A DOCTOR, RIGHT NOW!"

"Jimbei…!" Luffy wheezed.

"Humph!" Whitebeard huffed. "You, boy, are nothing but a mass of spirit! Your bark is worse than your bite, especially that dog of yours! Literally! Such pathetic fools…and yet…I love idiots like you. Maybe, when this is all over…I could make you one of my sons, too."

_I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one, Edward,_ Stefan thought. _I think we had enough trouble with Ace on the ship!_

"GRAAAAAAAH!" Whitebeard roared as he raised his glaive, once more.

"Look out! Whitebeard is about to charge, again!"

**WHOOSH! BOOM!** Whitebeard swung his glaive at the Marines, only to be intercepted by Akainu, who stopped the blade with his foot.

**KABOOM!** An explosion went off from the resulting collision.

"I'll entrust Luffy and Blizzard's lives to you!" Jimbei called to the pirates. "This will be my final battle!"

Akainu glared at Whitebeard and said, "This island won't last long if we let you and that beast of your run loose."

"GURARARARARA!" Whitebeard laughed. "Then just try and protect this island."

**GLUP! GULP!** Akainu's arm began to turn into magma, again. He raised his fist, preparing to punch Whitebeard, but then, **KROOM!** Whitebeard punched the air, as well as Akainu's magma fist.

**BOOM! KRAK!** Izou fired his pistol at a Marine cutlass, causing it to break in half.

Pirates and Marines are practically fighting, tooth and nail. A melody of battle cries went out into the sky, followed by a counterpoint of dogs barking and growling, as well as the screams of pain that came afterward as the dogs bit down on various foes.

Mihawk raised his sword against several other pirates.

**CHOMP!** Division 7 Leader, Rakuyo, threw his spiked-ball-and-chain at Kizaru, who was "bitten" by it.

**THUD!** One of the pirates fell to the ground, lifeless, followed by another.

Moria unleashed his Brick Bats on several pirates, hoping to use the corpses that are left behind in the battle to create more zombies.

Doma and his men attacked more Marines. Even his pet monkey got involved in the battle by firing a handgun at one.

Sentomaru shouted out orders to the Pacifistas.

The war raged on, and it looked clear that there is still no apparent victor.

Suddenly, Marco's body went aflame, once more.

"Here I come, Ace," he said.

**FWOOSH!** He transformed into his Phoenix form and flew towards the scaffold.

"Marco!" Ace cried as he spotted his best friend.

Just when it appeared that Marco was going to reach Ace…

"NOT SO FAST!"

**WHAM!** Marco is suddenly struck across by a powerful fist. **KRASH!** He is sent crashing back down into the battlefield.

"Oh, no! Commander Marco!"

"Commander Marco's been struck down!"

**FWOOSH!** Marco returned to his human form, and the only thing he got from the resulting punch is a bruise.

The pirates and the Marines gasped.

"Who gave you the order to move out?!" Sengoku questioned.

"He's finally made his move!" cried a pirate. "It's the legend of the Marines!"

Ace sat there, mouth agape.

"Gramps…!" he muttered.

"It's Monkey D. Garp!" another pirate cried.

**THUD!** Garp sat down in one of the Admirals' thrones.

"Garp…" Whitebeard muttered. "So, you finally decided to fight too, eh?"

"If you scumbag pirates wanna get passed me," Garp began, "then you'll have to kill me, first!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Tomorrow's New Year's, guys! Can't wait! I'm also probably gonna write a fic regarding Ace's birthday!

Review, please!


	22. Have It Your Way!

**Ch. 22- "Have It Your Way!"**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, the Whitebeard Pirates continue their attack in the plaza. Luffy and Blizzard finally collapse from exhaustion, despite their determination. Whitebeard expresses an affinity for "idiots" like Luffy. As the war rages on, Marco makes an attempt to rescue Ace from the execution platform, but out of nowhere, Garp strikes him down and decides to enter the battle, as well.

"Garp the Hero is joining in the battle!" exclaimed one of the Marines.

The Marines broke into a brief cheer.

"Don't be intimidated, men!" Whitebeard shouted. "He's just a feeble old man, now!"

"Humph!" grunted a grinning Garp. "Don't forget that you and that dog of yours belong to the same generation, too! You better focus on the enemy in front of you, Whitebeard!"

Whitebeard faced forward and saw that Akainu had sent a dog formed by magma right at him. **FWOOM! WHAM!** Whitebeard punched the dog away with his fist, and it didn't even burn him. **KRASH!** The resulting punch resulting in the magma dog crashing into the town.

"Must you demolish the town every single time?!" Akainu questioned.

"Well," Whitebeard began, "I warned you to try and defend it, didn't I?"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the pirates roared as they continued to fight off the Marines.

"Open the path to rescue Ace!" shouted Fossa.

**SLASH! SHWAK!** He cut a Marine, as well as the sword the Marine was holding.

**WHUP! KRUK!** Haruta stabbed a Pacifista in the neck with her lance.

**BOOM!** The cyborg exploded, and the pirates cheered once more.

"All right!"

"Yeah! This is the power of the New World!"

"Way to go, Haruta!"

Up on the execution platform, Ace is down on his knees, and he has bowed his head down to the point where his head is touching the boards.

"What is it, now, Fire First?" asked Sengoku.

Garp looked up at the scaffold.

"Ace," he whispered.

By this time, Ace had begun to let his mind wander back to the days of his childhood.

"_Huh? Gol D. Roger? You mean Gold Roger?"_

"_Yeah. Do you know about him or not?"_

"_Do I know about him?! What are you, an idiot?!"_

_Flashback; ten years ago_

A ten-year-old Ace had asked a couple of men in town about Gold Roger, and this was his answer.

"Do you know why pirates wreak so much havoc in this world, boy?! It's all because of the godforsaken Gold Roger!"

"Yeah, you got that right! That devil should never have been born into this world, I say!"

"He's a horrible piece of human trash! He's worth nothing alive and even less when! Even shit has more value than him!"

"He's the worst disaster that could've ever happened to this world! Remember that, kid!"

Ace glared at the men, clenching his fists.

"Hey! What's with that look of yours, sourpuss?!"

"Yeah! Who's this little brat, anyway?!"

Suddenly, **BAP! WHAM!** The sound of hits being landed is heard, followed by screams of pain.

"AAAAAH!"

"HELP! GET THIS CRAZY KID AWAY FROM ME!"

"HE'S A MAD DOG!"

XXX

"HEY, ACE!"

Moments later, Ace was found, sitting on a cliff, facing the ocean, as a shadowy figure approached him from behind.

"I just got word that everyone in town is talking about some crazy-ass kid that almost killed some of the local thugs!" the figure said. "What the hell did you do?!"

"Oh…so they're not dead?" Ace questioned, nonchalantly.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

XXX

A day later, Ace went back into town, again, talking to some other strangers.

"You want to about Gold Roger, kid?" asked a man smoking a cigarette. "Are you kidding?! Get outta here, you scum! Why would I want to talk about that bastard to you?! He ruined my life, bringing all these pirates around!"

XXX

The day after that, Ace went into town, again, this time entering a local bar.

"ROGER?!" a drunken man repeated. "If you're gonna come in here and talk about that guy, then get the hell outta my sight! I can't stand hearing his name!"

Ace glared at the man, clutching the lead pipe in his hand.

XXX

The day after that, Ace had gone into town, once more. A woman had come to take her daughter away after Ace had mentioned Gold Roger's name.

"Who do you think you are, coming here and talking about that man around my daughter?!" shouted the mother, questioningly. "Don't ever come to this neighborhood again if you're going to say his name around here! Let's go, Angelica."

"But Momma!" the little girl, known as Angelica, cried.

Ace stared after the mother and child. He couldn't even utter Gold Roger's name around children his age without someone snapping at him.

XXX

The day after that, Ace was found sitting in his usual spot: on the cliff, staring out at the sea, but he wasn't alone. Garp happened to come by and visit, and when he found Ace sitting there, he knew that something must've been troubling him.

"Hey, Gramps?" asked Ace.

"Hmm?" Garp hummed. "What is it, Ace?"

"Do you think that…nah, forget it," Ace began.

"What?" Garp asked. "Come on, Ace. What's on your mind? Spit it out, already."

Ace heaved a sighed and looked out to sea.

"Do you think that, maybe…it would've been best if I was never born?"

Garp seemed surprised by that question his adopted grandson had asked, but then he heaved a sigh, scratching his head.

"Well, Ace," he said. "Only time can answer that question."

_Flashback end_

Garp stared out at the battlefield and heaved a sigh.

Meanwhile, **WHAP!** Ivankov felt a hand grab at his ankle. Looking down, he sees that it's Luffy, having regained consciousness, but probably just for a minute.

"I…Iva…!" Luffy gasped.

"Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov exclaimed. "Are vyou awake?!"

**KOFF! KOFF!** Luffy coughed up some more blood.

"Iva…" he wheezed. "I…I need one more favor from you! Please!"

"What is it, Straw Hat Boy?" asked Ivankov.

"CLEAR THE WAY!" shouted one of the pirates as the battle went on.

**THUD!** Another pirate dropped to the ground.

Back up on the execution platform, Ace is still bowing his head down on the wood.

"I…" he muttered. "I'm…not good enough…!"

"We'll be there soon, Ace!" Jimbei called.

"Hang tough, Ace!" called Rakuyo. "We're coming for you!"

"Hang in there, Ace!"

"Ace~!"

"Don't give up hope, Ace!"

"We'll be there, soon! Hang tight!"

"We'll save you, Ace!"

"N…no…I….!" Ace stammered. "Oh, god, I'm so torn up inside! Luffy…Pops…all my friends…they're all here, bleeding and dying for me!"

**PLUP! PLUP! SNIFF!** Ace sobbed as a river of tears fell from his eyes.

"I…I'm so touched…!" he whispered. "I can't stop crying…! Even after everything that I've seen and done…I still don't wanna die!"

Garp sighed, once again.

_I'm sorry, Ace,_ he thought.

XXX

Outside the wall…

"Hey, look! He's coming around!"

"Cap'n Buggy! You're alive! Thank the stars!"

"Ugh…" Buggy moaned as he tried to get to his feet. "What the hell happened to me?!"

"It was Aokiji, Cap'n Buggy!" answered one of his followers. "He froze you, but then, the water that got heated up by Akainu's magma powers thawed you out!"

**Huff! Huff!** Buggy panted.

"Damn those Marine jackasses," he muttered. "No one freezes me alive and flashily gets away with! I'll tear them apart, even if it's the last thing I do!"

"Whoa! That's incredible! Did you hear this guy?!"

"He just got thawed out, just like that, and he's ready to go wild, just like that!"

"You're amazing, Cap'n Buggy!"

XXX

Whitebeard gasped and clutched at his chest as he felt a jolt of pain surging through his body, and Marco noticed this, judging by how shocked and horrified he looked.

**KOFF! SPLAT!** A huge amount of blood came gushing out of Whitebeard's mouth.

_Edward!_ Stefan cried in thought.

"Ugh…" Whitebeard moaned. "Dammit all…!"

"Pops!" the pirates cried.

"Pops, are you all right?!" Haruta called, worried.

"Even you cannot defeat old age, Whitebeard," said Akainu as his hand formed into magma, once more.

"POPS!" Marco cried before he ran to his father/captain's aid.

_Dammit!_ he cursed in though. _The thing that I feared the most is happening!_

However, as Marco ran to Whitebeard's side, he didn't notice a flash of light coming from behind him.

"All it takes to lose is to be caught off guard for just one moment," said Kizaru.

**ZAP! ZAP!** Marco took two lasers through the back and out his stomach.

"UGH!" he cried as he coughed up blood.

"MARCO!" Jozu cried.

"You just went and looked away," said Aokiji.

**KRINK!** Aokiji grabbed Jozu by the arm, which soon became frozen in ice.

"GAH!" Jozu cried.

"JOZU!"

**FSSS~!** Akainu's hand formed into magma, and before Whitebeard could react fast enough, **SHUNK!** The Admiral punched him, right in the spot where Squard had stabbed him!

**KOFF!** Whitebeard coughed up blood once again.

**GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWRR!** Stefan roared as he lunged at Akainu from behind. However, Akainu proved that his reflexes were faster. **SHUNK!** He punched a hole in Stefan's side with a fist of magma. **KOFF! KOFF!** Stefan coughed up blood, this time, but he refused to howl like a wounded animal, nor did he refuse to fall.

However, he is now in much greater pain as his master.

"POPS! STEFAN!" Ace cried. "NOOOOOOOO!"

Meanwhile…

"VYOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!" Ivankov questioned Luffy.

"I need you…to give me and Blizzard more of those hormone thingies," Luffy said. "Please, Iva…!"

"ARE VYOU MAD?!" Ivankov shouted. "ABSOLUTELY NOT! IT WOULD KILL YOU AND WHITE WOLF BOY!"

**Huff! Huff!** Luffy panted as he tried to remain conscious long enough to talk to Ivankov.

"Listen to me!" Ivankov said. "Vyou and White Wolf Boy have been fighting, ever since you broke out of Impel Down! Vyou haven't even fully recovered from Magellan's poison!"

"Hey!" one of the pirates cried. "Pops and Stefan are…!"

"Vyour bodies can't take any more!" Ivankov continued. "If vyou force vyourselves to keep going, THEN THIS TIME, VYOU REALLY ARE GOING TO DIE!"

**WROING! WHAP!** Luffy stretched his arm and grabbed Ivankov by the collar of his shirt. **Huff! Huff!** Luffy panted, again as he raised his head up.

"As long…as I do…everything I can…" Luffy said between pants, "then it doesn't matter if I die, here and now!"

"What?!" Ivankov muttered.

"Gimme the power to keep fighting, Iva!" Luffy said.

"Pops and Stefan are down!" Vista cried. "Marco and Jozu are in trouble, too!"

"Please, Iva…" Luffy said. "If I don't keep fighting…and they kill Ace…then I…I…I COULDN'T LIVE WITH IT!"

Ivankov gasped.

"Please, Iva!" Luffy shouted. "I'm begging you, gimme the power to keep fighting, RIGHT NOW!"

A pause, but then, Ivankov started to seethe.

"I told vyou this, before, didn't I?!" asked Ivankov. "If I let vyou die, here, then I'd never be able to face vyour father again, you fool!"

Another pause, but then, Ivankov heaved a sigh.

"Fine…HAVE IT VYOUR WAY!"

**SHUNK!** Ivankov stabbed Luffy in the side with his syringe-like fingers.

"GAH!" Luffy gasped.

"VYOU, TOO, WHITE WOLF BOY!"

**SHUNK! YIPE!** Ivankov stabbed Blizzard in the side, as well, causing him to wake up and yowl in pain and surprise.

The pirates watched, stunned and speechless, but then…

**BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP! BA-BUMP!** Luffy and Blizzard's hearts started to beat at least tenfold, and they slowly got to their feet before…

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Luffy roared.

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_ Blizzard howled.

Ace looked down at his revived little brother and his dog as soon as he heard those cries.

"Luffy…" he muttered.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please!


	23. White Monsters

**Ch. 23- White Monsters**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last left our heroes, Ace decides that he wants to live after all once he realizes how much the people he cares about are putting on the line. Whitebeard, Stefan, Marco, and Jozu are wounded in the battle by the three Admirals. In a last ditch effort to keep fighting, Luffy asks Ivankov to give him and Blizzard another dose of Tension Hormones to give him a boost. Even thought Ivankov knew that the two Straw Hats might die, he gives in and pumps them with more hormones, which gives them the power to keep going.

Right now, two new executioners had come to replace the ones that Crocodile had killed.

"Oh, no!" Luffy cried. "They're gonna try and kill Ace, again! We gotta hurry!"

With that, Luffy, Blizzard, and Ivankov ran ahead.

"Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov called. "If vyou and White Wolf Boy collapse, again, then vyou are both finished!"

**Huff! Huff!** Luffy panted.

"I'm never gonna collapse again!" he said.

**THWAK!** He kicked a Marine out of his way.

_Neither am I!_ Blizzard thought. _Now I feel like I really can protect Luffy with these hormones!_

**CHOMP!** He bit down on a Marine's arm.

"The Tension Hormones only trick vyour bodies!" Ivankov continued. "It won't heal vyour injuries! Understand?!"

Luffy and Blizzard are too hopped up on adrenaline to even care. All they were focused on was one thing and one thing only: rescuing Ace from certain death.

"Out of our way! WAHOO!" Ivankov shouted as some Marines came charging at them.

**BLINK! BOOM!** He sent them flying with his Death Wink.

At that moment, Luffy noticed a familiar face up ahead…

"It's Coby!" Luffy said.

The Chief Petty Officer stood before Luffy. **GULP!** He swallowed the lump in his throat.

_I can't just turn and run away,_ Coby thought. _Ever since I trained with Vice-Admiral Garp, I resolved that I would return to being the coward I once was! I have to fight…or else I'll never change! This is my battlefield, too! Even if Luffy and I are friends…I have to fight like I wanna kill him!_

"PREPARE YOURSELF, STRAW HAT LUFFY!" Coby shouted.

**WROING!** Luffy stretched his arm as far back as he could as he ran.

"Gum GUUUUUUUM…"

"SORU!"

**POOF!** Coby disappeared, quick-as-a-wink, but before he could so much as one little attack in, **WHAK!** His face is soon met with a powerful fist.

"BULLET!"

**KRASH!** Coby is sent face-first into the ground, while Luffy kept on running. As the Chief Petty Officer lies on the ground, unconscious, Blizzard stood over him, growling viciously. Just when the wolf-dog opened his jaws and prepared to bite down on Coby's face…

"BLIZZARD! STOP!"

Blizzard looked up at Luffy.

"Don't hurt him, Blizzard!" shouted Luffy. "That's Coby! He may be a Marine, but he's one of the good ones! Leave him alone!"

Blizzard stared at Luffy in surprise, but then he put on a look of seriousness and nodded.

"Good boy," Luffy praised. "Now come on! Let's move!"

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked before he followed Luffy, once more. However, they didn't get far, for they are soon blinded by a flash of light.

**ZOW! BOOM!** They soon came under fire by the Pacifistas' laser beams.

_HOLY CRAP!_ Blizzard thought.

"BLIZZARD! DUCK!" Luffy cried.

**WHUP!** The two quickly dodged the laser beams made by the Pacifistas.

"It's the fake Kuma guys!" Luffy said. "Damn! I forgot how dangerous they are!"

_Stay on your toes and don't fight!_ Blizzard thought. _They'll just waste our time if we stay here to try and hold them off!_

"Pirates: Monkey D. Luffy and Blizzard," one of the Pacifistas said. "Target acquired."

"Uh-oh!" Luffy said.

Just when the Pacifista was about to fire his laser, once again, **WHUP!** A familiar figure appeared, standing in the line of fire as Luffy and Blizzard kept running.

It's Hancock!

"Pirate Empress Boa Hancock of the Seven Warlords," the Pacifista said.

"Hey!" Luffy cried. "Watch out! He'll shoot you!"

"Attack aborted," said the Pacifista. "Ally detected."

The Kuma look-a-like's laser went out and he lowered his hand down.

"Oh, yeah! Right!" Luffy realized. "They won't hurt you since you're on their side! Thanks a lot, Hancock!"

Hancock turned and blushed again.

_He said my name, again!_ she thought.

_Seriously, Luffy,_ Blizzard thought. _DON'T do that!_

"Say," said Ivankov. "Isn't that the Pirate Empress? How do you know each other, Straw Hat Boy?"

"I'll explain later!" Luffy called as he punched a Marine out of his way.

"Move aside, Boa Hancock," said the Pacifista.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME BY MY NAME!" Hancock shouted.

**KLUNK!** She kicked the Pacifista in the face with her Perfume Femur attack, causing his face to turn into stone and shatter.

Meanwhile…

"POPS! STEFAN!"

Marco tried to reach his captain and his dog while trying to recover from Kizaru's laser beam.

"Oh!" Kizaru said. "It appears I've caught you off guard, eh? But you sure regenerate a lot, 'Phoenix' Marco!"

**CHAK!** Vice-Admiral Onigumo placed something around Marco's wrist.

"What the-?" Marco muttered. "Sea prism stone?!"

**ZAP! ZAP!** Marco is hit in the chest and stomach by Kizaru's laser, once again.

"COMMANDER MARCO!" the pirates cried.

**KRASH!** Jozu, now completely frozen by Aokiji and has fallen to the ground.

"COMMANDER JOZU IS DOWN, TOO!" another pirate cried.

"Looks like the Whitebeard Pirates are finished," Aokiji mused.

"This is terrible!" cried one of the pirates. "All the Division Leaders are getting taken out, one-by-one!"

"HURRY UP!" Sengoku ordered. "ATTACK ALL AT ONCE AND TAKE WHITEBEARD'S HEAD ONCE FOR AND ALL!"

Whitebeard, Stefan, and Akainu are still in a standoff. However, the former two are left weakened by the latter's powers.

"Pops! Stefan!" one of the pirates cried.

Soon, the world's most powerful man and his dog were under attack by other Marine Vice-Admirals. **BOOM! BABOOM!** They were fired upon by bazookas. **KASHUNK!** Swords ended up getting stabbed into their chests…and yet, the two still did not falter.

Just when the pirates were moving in to help their father…

"STAY BACK~!" Whitebeard boomed. "You bastards…do you honestly think that they can kill me and Stefan off, like this?! I don't need your help…for I AM WHITEBEARD!"

**WHOOSH! THWAK!** Whitebeard threw the Marines off of himself with the power of his glaive.

**GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWRR!** Stefan roared. **WHOOSH! THWAM!** He threw the Marines off of his back and slammed them into the ground with his paws.

The other Marines who had not been under attack simply took a step back and shivered.

_M…monsters!_ they thought.

Whitebeard and Stefan staggered to their feet.

"I know…exactly what it would mean…if Stefan and I were to die, here and now!" Whitebeard said between breaths. "That's all the more reason to stay alive…at least until I've guided my children towards a great and brighter future! Isn't that right…Ace?!"

Ace just stared at Whitebeard.

"Hey! What's going on?!"

"The pirates are standing behind Whitebeard and Stefan!"

Behind Whitebeard and Stefan, it is revealed that Jimbei, Fossa, Haruta, Atmos, Vista, and Blamenco are all standing there, prepared to face the Marines.

"**Huff…huff…!**" Jimbei panted. "You don't need to understand why."

"We're here to defend Pops' pride!" Atmos declared.

Whitebeard smiled.

"GURARARARA…" he laughed. "You lot are too damned loyal, you bunch of fools. I love each and everyone of you."

"If it's the future you really want to see," Sengoku began, "then I'll give you a glimpse of it, right now, Whitebeard! EXECUTIONERS! STRIKE!"

"Yes, sir!"

The executioners raised their blades, preparing to slice off Ace's head.

Ace closed his eyes, awaiting his death, while the pirates cried out in desperation.

"NO!"

"ACE!"

"DAMMIT, NOT NOW!"

"You don't think…that I can't stop…**KOFF!**" Whitebeard coughed and clutched at his chest.

_No…I'm too late!_ Whitebeard thought.

_Ace!_ Stefan thought.

_FIRE FIST!_ Blizzard thought. _NO!_

"Take a good look, Whitebeard!" Sengoku said. "This is what the future will be!"

Just when the executioners are about to land the final blow…

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

**THOOM!** A huge wave of imaginable power exploded outward, hitting everyone in its wake…and it emanated from a single D-carrying boy.

_Luffy!_ Blizzard thought. _You did it, again!_

Sengoku gasped in horror.

"No…it can't be…!" he whispered.

**THUD! KLANK!** The executioners fell on the platform, unconscious, foaming at the mouth, and dropping their blades, and soon, others, even the pirates, followed.

"What the hell…?!" Ace whispered, also shocked by the power that had emerged from his little brother.

"That was…Conqueror's Haki!" Rakuyo realized.

"You've gotta be freaking kidding me…!" Aokiji said.

"Hey, Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov said. "Was that just-"

"I'M COMING FOR YOU, ACE!" Luffy called as he ran forward with Blizzard following behind.

_I don't believe it…!_ Stefan thought.

_That boy…!_ Whitebeard thought. _He sure is something!_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Wow! Two chapters in one day!

Review, please!


	24. The Bridge of Life

**Ch. 24- The Bridge of Life**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Luffy and Blizzard continue to make their way to the scaffold with newfound strength, thanks to Ivankov. Marco has been defeated, as well as Jozu. Whitebeard and Stefan prove that even when they are wounded to near extreme levels, they can still be the world's strongest man and dog, and when Ace is about to be executed, once again, Luffy manages to stop with one huge burst of Conqueror's Haki, which shocks everyone.

"Hey! HEY!" a pirate called to his near-unconscious comrade. "Hey, wake up! Can your hear me?! Pull yourself together!"

The pirate gasped as he jolted awake.

"Oh, god!" he said. "I almost passed out, for a minute there!"

The other pirates looked at Luffy in surprise.

"Man…Ace's little brother sure is something!"

"I can't believe that he did that!"

"He has Conqueror's Haki, just like Pops and Shanks!" said Fossa.

"That kid did that?!" Marco questioned as he stumbled to his feet.

"It seems," Akainu began, "that he did out of pure instinct."

"There's a scary power hidden deep inside that little boy," Kizaru mused.

Mihawk just stood in silence.

"…your mother was right, Luffy," Garp said. "You were born with it, after all."

"You, too, Luffy?" Ace questioned.

Down below, Luffy and Blizzard are still running to Ace's rescue with Ivankov following not too far behind. Some of the Marines tried to stand up and fight, but it looked like Luffy's Haki had still taken effect, for some of them are still passing out.

"If you can't withstand it, then stay back!" cried Vice-Admiral Doberman. "Don't think of him as just some kid! Think of him as a monster! That boy is the son of Dragon the Revolutionary! It's no wonder he possesses this innate power!"

"Vice-Admiral Doberman!" the Marines cried.

"That boy must not survive this battle!" Doberman continued. "If he does, then he will certainly become a grave threat to us in the future!"

_You're damn right, he will be,_ Blizzard thought. _As soon as Luffy realizes what he has inside, then you Marines can kiss your asses goodbye!_

"Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov called to Luffy. "That's some power vyou have got, there! Where'd vyou learn it?!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "What are you talking about? What power?!"

"Never mind!" Ivankov replied.

_He doesn't even know!_ he thought. _It's still a hidden power, for now, but that explains why so many people are drawn to him! Well, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, eh, Dragon?!_

Meanwhile, the Marines are still dealing with Whitebeard and Stefan, who are both bloody and covered in wounds.

"Take out Whitebeard and Stefan, first!" said a Marine Vice-Admiral. "They may be monsters, but they're dying! They must be defeated, now!"

**KRASH!** Whitebeard slammed the blade of his glaive into the ground, crushing many Marines. **THWAK!** Stefan struck down various foes with a mighty swipe of his paw.

"Men!" Whitebeard boomed. "Back up Straw Hat Luffy with everything you've got!"

"Back up Ace's little brother?" one of the pirates questioned.

"You heard Pops!" shouted another. "Move it!"

_Give it your best shot, boy!_ Whitebeard thought as he panted, his strength waning. _If you really are one of the successors to the 'Will of D.', then show me what kind of era you and that dog of yours will create!_

Back with Luffy and Blizzard…

"Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov cried. "Look out to your right!"

Luffy looked and saw a Marine about to cut him with his cutlass, but then, out of nowhere, the Whitebeard Pirates came charging in, taking out and Marines in Luffy's way!

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "What's going on?"

_They're…helping us…?_ Blizzard thought. _But why?_

As a Marine is about to open fire on the two Straw Hat Pirates, another pirates jumped in and kicked him in the jaw, causing him to go off of aim.

"Hurry up, Ace's brother!" called Ramba. "Right now, the Marines are targeting Pops! If you miss this chance, you'll never get passed the Three Admirals! We'll break through at a single point!"

"What?" Luffy asked.

"Just follow us!" Ramba answered.

"This is huge, Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov said. "The world's greatest man is testing vyou!

**WHABAM!** He kicked a Marine out of his way.

"ARE YOU PREPARED TO MEET WHITEBEARD'S EXPECTATIONS?!" he asked. "WAHOO!"

"I don't know about Old Man Whitebeard," Luffy began, "but Blizzard and I came here fro one reason, and one reason only!"

**SHWAK!** He punched a Marine out of his way.

"AND THAT'S TO SAVE ACE!" he shouted.

**WHOOSH!** Another Marine tried to cut Blizzard with his cutlass, but the wolf-dog ducked down on instinct.

_Twister FANG!_

**WHOOOSH! CHOMP!** Blizzard spun around in the air and bit down on the Marine's neck. **THUD!** Once the Marine fell to the ground in a heap, Blizzard ran to catch up to Luffy.

"Straw Hat Boy, get out of the way!" Ivankov shouted. "It's Hawk Eye!"

Luffy looked to his left and saw Mihawk, sending an air-compressed slash towards the rubber-man with his sword, but all of a sudden, **KLANK!** Mr. 1 one appears, his body having turned to steel, and blocks the attack.

"You!" Luffy cried.

_What's he doing?!_ Blizzard thought.

"President's orders," said Mr. 1. "The Marines are my enemy, for the time being."

"You must be Daz Bonez," Mihawk mused.

**SHAK!** He cut Mr. 1 down with a swing of his sword and even managed to draw blood, even though he had become steel. As Mihawk lunged for Luffy and Blizzard, **KLANG!** His blade is stopped by Crocodile's golden hook.

"Crocodile…" Mihawk said.

"I'm not in a very good mood, right now!" Crocodile said. "You'd better watch your back, Hawk Eye!"

Meanwhile, Sentomaru has been brought to his knees by Hancock, who is sitting on Salome, suspended above the battlefield.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Sentomaru questioned the Pirate Empress. "Aren't you one of the Seven Warlords, Hancock?! You knocked all of the Pacifistas out of commission! You're supposed to be on the World Government's side!"

"Let me just say this," Hancock said.

"Huh?" Sentomaru muttered.

"LOVE IS ALWAYS A HURRICANE!" Hancock boomed.

"What are you talking about?!" Sentomaru questioned.

While Luffy didn't seem to be paying attention, Blizzard heard Hancock loud and clear, and needless to say, he was getting more than tired of the female Warlord's infatuation with his master.

_Just give it up, already,_ Blizzard thought. _You already know Luffy has a girlfriend! Why bother?!_

Just then, Ivankov glanced at his hair.

"Sorry," he apologized, "but it looks like I'm going to need vyour help."

"No problem, Lord Iva."

**FWUF! WHUP!** A hand holding a glass of bourbon popped out of Ivankov's hair, followed by a very familiar face.

It's Inazuma!

"There's no need to worry about me!" he said.

**WHAM! KRAK!** Whitebeard punched the air, causing it to crack and send a tremor to throw several Marines off their feet.

**CHOMP!** Stefan bit down five Marines at once, crushing them in his teeth.

"The execution platform is close, Straw Hat Boy!" Ivankov said.

"I know! I see it!" Luffy said.

_This is it,_ Blizzard thought. _The moment of truth!_

"Keep going!" Ivankov said. "Run on ahead, Straw Hat Boy! Save your brother!"

**THWAK!** Jimbei punched a Marine away from Whitebeard.

**SNIK-SNIK! SNIK!** Luffy suddenly hears the sound of…scissors, snipping.

"Huh?" he muttered. "What's that?"

**FWUP!** A giant chunk of ground came up and **THWUMP!** It connected to the platform, like a giant bridge.

"AAH! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!"

"Crabby!" Luffy cried as he spotted Inazuma.

"Look!" a Marine shouts. "It's Inazuma of the Revolutionary Army!"

"Go, Luffy!" Inazuma cried. "Hurry!"

"Thanks, Crabby!" Luffy called.

**TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP!** The two Straw Hats ran up the walk way.

"I'M COMING, ACE!" Luffy called to his big brother.

"You're not going anywhere, Straw Hat!" a Marine captain shouted.

**BANG!** He fired his bazooka at Luffy, but then, **SWISH! KABOOM!** Vista cut the bullet in half, causing it to explode.

"Keep running, Straw Hat!" he called to Luffy. "Don't stop until you and White Wolf have reached Ace!"

"I won't let you," Kizaru said as he began to turn into light, but before he could get away, **THWAK!** Whitebeard slammed his glaive into the Admiral, causing him to stop momentarily.

Aokiji was about to go and stop Luffy, as well, but he found himself getting pinned down by Stefan.

Soon, the pirates broke out into cheers of encouragement.

"GO, STRAW HAT!"

"FREE ACE!"

"YOU CAN DO IT, ACE'S BROTHER!"

Luffy grinned as the distance between him and Ace got shorter and shorter, and Blizzard also smiled, for he knew that the D. brothers would be reunited at last.

_We're almost there!_ Blizzard thought.

"Cap'n Buggy, look!" shouted one of Buggy's followers. "Straw Hat's at the execution platform!"

"Dammit!" Buggy cursed. "He's getting all the glory!"

"Stay back!" Ivankov shouted. "Death WINK!"

**BLINK! BOOM!** He sent some of the Marines flying away with a Death Wink.

"WAHOO!" he cheered.

"We're getting closer, Blizzard!" Luffy called to his best friend. "This is it! We're gonna make it! We're gonna-"

_LOOK OUT!_ Blizzard shouted in thought.

Just when Luffy and Blizzard are halfway there, **KROOM!** Something, or rather someone, leaped up and broke through the walkway!

"Hey!" one of the pirates cried. "It's…"

On the bridge, it is revealed to be the one man Luffy hoped he wouldn't have to face here: his grandfather.

_Holy crap, it's Garp!_ Blizzard thought.

"Grandpa!" Luffy cried. "What are you doing?! Get outta my way!"

"I'm going anywhere, Monkey D. Luffy!" Garp shouted. "I'm a Vice Admiral of the Marines!"

Luffy gasped.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Man! I'm working fast!

Review, please!


	25. The Scaffold

**Ch. 25- The Scaffold**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last Luffy and Blizzard, our heroes continue their charge to Ace's rescue. Whitebeard orders his men to go and back them up, and not only do they follow those orders, but Crocodile and Mr. 1 come to their aid, as well! Inazuma, who has recovered from Magellan's poison, creates a bridge to the scaffold so that Luffy and Blizzard can reach Ace. Just when they are about to, however, Garp suddenly gets in the way.

"It's Garp the Hero!" the pirates cried.

**KRAK! KRAKK!** As Garp stood on the bridge, it began to crumble.

"Oh, no!" said Inazuma. "I was afraid of this! The bridge was only meant to handle Luffy and Blizzard's weight, and with Garp there, the bridge can support all of them! It's going to fall!"

Akainu sneered at Luffy and Blizzard on the bridge.

"Straw Hat Boy! White Wolf Boy!" Ivankov called. "DO SOMETHING!"

Up on the bridge, Garp and Luffy are locked in confrontation.

"I've been hunting and fighting pirates since long before even your mother and father were born!" Garp exclaimed. "So, if you want to cross this bridge, YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST, STRAW HAT LUFFY! IT'S THE PATH THAT YOU AND THAT BROTHER OF YOURS HAVE CHOSEN!"

"Gramps…!" Ace muttered.

As Luffy continued to charge on, he remembered the days of his childhood when Garp use to "train" him, how Garp would hit him whenever he so much as said the word "pirate". However, he also remembered the times when he got so tired, Garp would carry him back to the village and get him something to eat for his efforts.

Even if Garp did scare Luffy, and even if his mother absolutely hated him…Luffy could never bring himself to kill his grandfather, no matter what.

"I can't do that, Grandpa!" Luffy cried. "Please, I'm begging you, just get outta the way!"

"KILL ME OR ACE WILL DIE!" Garp shouted.

"NO!" Luffy shouted.

"There will be many things in life that you won't want to do, Luffy!" Garp yelled. "I'll show you no mercy! Luffy, you are hereby branded as an enemy of the state!"

With that, Garp reeled back his fist, preparing to strike Luffy with a Haki-imbued punch. Sengoku watched in silence. Maybe now, Garp will truly prove his worth as a man of justice.

"Gear…SECOND!"

**VOOM! FSSSSSS!** Luffy pumped his blood through his legs, and his sweat began to evaporate from his body. **WROING!** Luffy stretched his arm back, preparing to deliver a powerful Gum-Gum Bullet attack, just as Garp was about to bring his fist down upon him.

However, the old man began to remember the days Luffy and Ace were children, and the times they would eat together, the times they would fight together…even the times when they would laugh together.

"_Even after all I've seen and done…I still don't wanna die!"_

Garp froze, just when he was about to strike Luffy, and closed his eyes.

"GARP!" Sengoku barked. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

_I…just can't do it!_ thought Garp.

Garp couldn't…but Luffy could.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

**WHAM!** With that roar, Luffy's fist connected with Garp's jaw, much to the shock of the Marines. The resulting punch caused Garp to fall of the bridge, and he fell, headfirst, into the ground below. **BOOM!**

"Vice-Admiral Garp?!" Onigumo cried.

It is revealed that Garp's upper body is now planted into the ground with his feet sticking out.

**TMP! TMP! TMP!** Luffy and Blizzard leaped off the crumbling bridge, heading for the scaffold, but the latter could not help but watch Garp from above.

_Just like me and Ken,_ he thought. _Luffy and Garp don't want to be enemies, either…but…they had no choice. These are the lives that they've chosen to live…but they're both sad._

"So, you're a grandfather first and a Marine second, eh, Garp?" questioned Sengoku.

**FWASH!** Kizaru materialized after being struck by Whitebeard's glaive. **ZOW!** He hit Whitebeard in the chest with his laser.

"POPS!" the Whitebeard Pirates cried.

**SHUNK!** Stefan is stabbed in the shoulder by Aokiji's ice sword.

"Stefan has been hit, too!" cried another pirate.

**WHUP!** Luffy and Blizzard jumped off the last bit of bridge and finally landed on the scaffold. **Huff! Huff!** Luffy panted before he turned to Ace and gave him a big, pearly grin.

"Ace…" he said. "I'm here!"

**WHAP!** He wrapped his arms around Ace, pulling him into a tight hug.

"I made it, Ace!" he said, trying to hold back tears. "I made it!"

"Uh, Lu?" Ace asked. "Listen, little bro. I love a hug as much as the next guy, but I think you're forgetting something!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Oh, right!"

_Flashback_

"Here," Hancock said as she held the key in her hand. "Take this with you. It's the key to your brother's shackles."

_Flashback end_

"I've got the key, Ace!" Luffy said as he pulled away from his brother and reached into his pocket, "Hang on!"

"Hurry, Luffy!" Ace said.

Down below, the Marines are gasping.

"Look!" cried one. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku's about to his Devil Fruit power!"

"No way!" said another. "I heard he ate a Devil Fruit, but I've never seen him use one, before!"

Suddenly, Luffy, Ace, and Blizzard felt a shadow looming over them. Looking up, they saw that Sengoku had transformed into a giant golden Daibutsu. He shined so brightly, the whole of Marineford was bathed in a golden light, at least for the moment.

"Halt!" Sengoku boomed. "Do you really think that I'm just going to stand here and let you three escape?!"

"Sengoku!" Ace cried.

_What the hell…?!_ Blizzard thought. _I've never seen a Zoan Devil Fruit like that, before!_

"Luffy! Hurry up and unlock my cuffs!" Ace said.

Luffy had finally gotten the key out.

"Got it!" he said. "Now I just have to put this in…and-"

**VEEN! TINK!** A beam of light flashed and struck the key, causing it to break in half.

"No!" Luffy cried. "The key!"

_Damn you, Kizaru!_ Blizzard thought.

Kizaru snickered as he put his hand back in his pocket.

"TAKE AIM!" ordered Vice-Admiral Strawberry.

"Yes, sir!"

**KA-CHAK!** The Marines raised their bazookas and cannons, preparing to fire at the D. Brothers.

"Luffy, what happened?!" Ace asked.

"The key broke!" Luffy said.

_Maybe I can try to bite the cuffs off!_ Blizzard thought.

"Unh…"

Luffy, Ace, and Blizzard looked down and saw that one of executioners is beginning to wake up. Upon getting up to his knees, it is revealed that it is Mr. 3 in disguise!

"Ugh…!" Mr. 3 groaned. "W-what happened? Did I just faint, all of a sudden?"

_Mr. 3?!_ Blizzard thought.

"What are you doing here?!" Luffy asked.

"I'll execute all of you, myself, here and now!" Sengoku shouted as he raised his giant fist.

_LUFFY! DO SOMETHING!_ Blizzard shouted in thought.

"Quick, Three!" Luffy said. "Put up a wax wall to protect Blizzard and Ace!"

"AAAAAH!" Mr. 3 screamed, looking at Sengoku. "WHAT IS THAT THING?!"

"STOP SCREAMING AND DO WHAT I TOLD YOU, ALREADY!" Luffy snapped.

"Y-yes! All right!" Mr. 3 said.

"Gear…THIRD! Bone BALLOON!"

**CHOMP! FWOOF!** Luffy bit down on his thumb and blew air into his bones.

"Gum GUUUUUM…"

"Candle WALL!"

**GLUP! KREK!** Mr. 3 produced a wall of wax, surrounding himself, Ace, and Blizzard in it.

"GIANT BALLOON!"

**FWOOMP!** Luffy's belly grew at least 20 times its normal size. **WHAM!** Sengoku punched Luffy in his oversized stomach, and it was so powerfully, it caused him cough up blood, despite him being a rubber-man.

"His body grew!" Sengoku said.

Luffy couldn't hold the air in much longer. **FSSHHHH!** The air came blowing out of his mouth, causing his body to deflate. That's not all. The force of the punch was so strong, it cause the scaffold to start breaking apart.

"What's happening up there?!"

"Ace! He's not dead, yet!"

"They're falling!"

It is revealed that that the Marines are right. Ace, Mr. 3, Blizzard, and a shrunken Luffy are falling from the shattered scaffold.

"Straw Hat!" Mr. 3 called. "I'll make a key out of wax, right now, and set him free!"

"Do it!" Luffy shouted.

**GLOOP!** Mr. 3 formed a key made of wax in his hand.

"Cap'n Buggy! Look! It's Brother 3! He's on the execution platform, too!"

"BUT HOW?!" Buggy questioned.

"FIRE!" Strawberry ordered. "DESTROY THEM, ALONG WITH THE SCAFFOLD!"

**BOOM! BOOM!** The Marines fired their cannons and bazookas at Ace, Luffy, Blizzard, and Mr. 3.

"Straw Hat," said Mr. 3. "If I told you that I only came here to mourn the loss of my late comrade and avenge him…would you laugh at me?!"

Luffy's eyes widened, realizing that Mr. 3 was talking about Bon Clay.

"Of course I wouldn't!" he answered.

_And neither would I!_ Blizzard thought.

"Then go and save your brother, Straw Hat!" Mr. 3 said.

"Got it!" Luffy said as he grabbed the key. He "swam" through the air in an effort to reach for Ace.

Sengoku, who had returned to his human form, gasped.

"Oh, no!" he cried as he jumped off the scaffold.

Luffy grabbed onto his brother's hands, making sure to avoid touching the sea prism stone shackles. **CHINK!** He inserted the key into the hole.

**WHOOSH! WHOOSH! KABOOM!** The shots from the Marines' cannons and bazookas hit, causing an explosion.

"They hit!" shouted a Marine.

"Fire Fist is powerless, right! There's no way that he could've survived!" said another.

A pause, but then, the Marines spotted something.

"Look! In the cloud of smoke!"

**FWOOSH!** Something appeared in the cloud of smoke that had occurred from the explosion. It's…a tunnel of fire in the form of Whitebeard's maid.

Inside, Luffy has grown back to normal size, and he, Blizzard, and Mr. 3 are completely unharmed. That's not all…

"You haven't changed a bit…Luffy."

Luffy gave a big grin and a laugh, and Blizzard smiled, as well.

_I knew it!_ he thought. _I KNEW IT!_

The pirates are breaking out into cheers.

"You never do a thing I tell you to do…and always end up getting your rubber ass in big trouble!"

Inside the tunnel, it is revealed that Ace is now free of his shackles, and he is holding onto Luffy, who is holding onto Blizzard, who has his teeth clamped on Mr. 3, who is unconscious, again.

The pirates' cheer became even louder.

"YES!"

"ACE IS FREE!"

"WAY TO GO, ACE'S BROTHER!"

Whitebeard smiled and chuckled in his throat, happy to see that his son is free, but the one who is the happiest of all them…is Luffy, who has tears of joy in his eyes.

"ACE~!"

_**ARROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_ Blizzard howled, accidentally letting go of Mr. 3 as he did.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

I'M ON FIRE!

Review, please!


	26. Times Are Changing

**Ch. 26- Times Are Changing**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last Luffy and Blizzard, the former is confronted by Garp, who deems Luffy an enemy of the state and prepares to attack. However, the love he bears for his grandsons is too much, and he holds back, causing Luffy to defeat him. Luffy finally manages to reach Ace, but Kizaru breaks the key to his cuffs, and Sengoku, using his Devil Fruit powers, prepares to execute Ace, Luffy, and Blizzard, himself. Suddenly, one of the executioners regains consciousness and reveals himself to be Mr. 3 in disguise. Using the power of the Wax-Wax Fruit, Mr. 3 creates a new key for Luffy, who unlocks Ace's cuffs, which frees his older brother from execution!

Now, the pirates are cheering in victory and joy at Ace's freedom, while the Marines looked plain horrified.

"Fire Fist Ace…IS FREE!" the Marines cried.

"YEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" the Whitebeard Pirates cheered.

"Straw Hat Luffy really did it!"

"He's set Ace free!"

"After all those impossible stunts that he and White Wolf pulled off back at Impel Down," said one of the New Kamas, "they finally did it!"

"WAAAAAAAAH!" Ivankov cried as tears came cascading out of his eyes, causing his makeup to run. "I KNEW VYOU COULD DO IT, STRAW HAT BOY!"

Up in the air, Ace, Luffy, and Blizzard are making the descent.

"Luffy!" Ace called to his little brother. "Stay on your toes! Don't let your guard down, even for one minute!"

"Right!" Luffy said in agreement.

"Fire PILLAR!"

**FWOOM!** Ace sent down a column of fire down at the Marines.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGH!" they screamed.

"Ace! Luffy!" Jimbei called.

"GURARARARARARA!" Whitebeard laughed.

**TMP! TMP! TMP! FWUMP!** Ace, Luffy, and Blizzard landed on their feet, while Mr. 3 just landed on his face.

"Luffy?" Ace called. "Do you think that you can still fight?"

"I know I can!" Luffy replied.

**GRRRRR~!** Blizzard growled.

_And I'm ready to go, too!_ he thought.

"Be careful!" cried one of the Marines. "White Wolf may be vulnerable to gunfire, but Fire Fist's Flame-Flame Devil Fruit is of the Logia type and Straw Hat's Gum-Gum Devil Fruit is of the Paramecia type! Don't let either of them get away!"

"I never once thought I'd see the day," Ace began, "when YOU had to save ME, for once. Thanks, Lu. I owe you, big time."

Luffy chuckled and rubbed his finger under his nose.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without Blizzard and Old Man Whitebeard and his men to help me!" Luffy said.

Blizzard smiled at the two brothers.

_I wish Ken and I were more like you two,_ he thought.

"Hold it!"

**KA-CHAK! KA-CHAK! KA-CHAK!** The Marines raised their firearms, preparing to shoot the D. Brothers and Blizzard along with them.

"Don't think you two are out of the woods, yet!" said a Marine Vice-Admiral. "As you can see, there's no way out! You're clearly outnumbered!"

"Ah, that's true," Ace said. "But YOU are clearly out_matched_!"

"This place will be your execution stand!" the Vice-Admiral shouted.

"Blizzard! Get outta here!" Luffy called. "Don't worry! We'll catch up to you! Go!"

**RUFF!** Blizzard barked before he ran off, passed the Marines.

"White Wolf is getting away!" one exclaimed.

"Leave him!" the Vice-Admiral said. "We have bigger fish to fry! FIRE!"

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!** The Marines opened fire on the D. Brothers, but in their desperation, they had forgotten that unless they had some type of sea prism stone, then bullets would be useless. **WOING! FWOOF! FWOOF!** The bullets went straight through the intangible Ace while they just ended up bouncing off of Luffy's rubber skin.

"Unh…HAH!" Luffy cried.

**BOING! ZAP! ZAK! ZING!** The bullets went flying off of Luffy's body and back to sender.

"Now's our chance!"

"Take Straw Hat Luffy down, now!"

Two Marines lunged at Luffy, armed with sabers.

"Uh-oh," Luffy muttered. "Looks like I'm in trouble here."

**THUMP! SHWAK!** Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ace pushed Luffy's head down to the point where the latter is squatting, and the Marines ended up hitting Ace instead, and their swords went right through him.

"He's my little brother," Ace said. "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't hurt him!"

**WHUP!** Using Luffy like a springboard, Ace propelled himself into the air.

"Luffy! Move!" Ace called.

**SWUP!** Luffy jumped back at Ace's command.

"Fire FIST!"

**FWOOSH!** Ace sent a fist of fire at the Marines, causing them to scream as they are sent flying away or burned.

"Gear…SECOND!"

**PLUMP!** Luffy pumped blood through his legs, once again.

"SORU!"

**POOF!** Three Marines disappeared and then reappeared around Luffy, and dropped with their swords pointed downward. **THUNK!** Their swords hit the ground, but Luffy had disappeared.

"Where did Straw Hat go?!" asked one.

"Up here!"

The three Marines look up and saw Luffy performing a somersault in the air.

"Gum-GUUUUM…JET STAMP!"

**THWAK!** He stretched his leg out and hit another Marine in the chest.

**TMP!** Ace landed on the ground and pointed his fingers like a pair of guns.

"FIRE GUN!"

**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!** He shot bullets of fire at the Marines, making a clear hit one every one of them. However, Ace was so busy with the Marines in front of him, that he didn't notice the one lunging at him from behind, armed with a giant spiked-ball mace.

"DIE, FIRE FIST!" he shouted.

**POW!** Luffy kicked the Marine away before he could so much as touch Ace.

"Leave my big bro alone!" Luffy shouted.

**TMP! **Luffy landed beside Ace. **THUD!** The Marine fell to the ground in a heap.

At this point, the Marines' felt their morale steadily dropping, and they begin to back away.

"Come on, Luffy!" Ace said. "It's time we blow this pop stand!"

"You got it, Ace!" Luffy agreed.

From afar, Blizzard and the Whitebeard Pirates watched, impressed by the D. Brothers' display of strength and teamwork.

_Damn,_ Blizzard mentally cursed in amazement. _And I thought Luffy and I made a great team! Put those two together, and they're completely unstoppable!_

"Ha-ha-ha!" Vista laughed. "You have to admit, Ace and his little brother sure have a lot of spirit on them!"

"Clear a path for Ace and his brother to escape!" Haruta ordered.

"YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" the pirates roared.

The Marines looked back at the pirates, and then turned to face the D. Brothers.

"Don't let Ace and Luffy escape, whatever you do!"

The Marines began to charge at Ace and Luffy, who did the same. The former of the brothers leaped up into the air, and his hands glowed a light green, and soon little balls of light surrounded the Marines.

"Firefly…FIERY DOLL!"

**FWOOSH!** The fireballs ignited into one big explosions, burning many Marines as they did.

"KILL FIRE FIST AND STRAW HAT!"

"Gum-GUUUUUUM…JET GATLING!"

**BAP! BAP! BAP! BAP! BAP!** Luffy punched away the Marines in a rapid-fire move.

The two brothers fought their way through the Marines, and as they did, Ace couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the days of their childhood, when they race each other through the jungle. Luffy always had trouble trying to keep up with Ace and always tired out quickly, but he refused to give up…but now, in the present, as the two brothers ran through the battlefield, Ace noticed now that Luffy could easily keep up with him. He didn't even run out of breath like he used to.

Ace couldn't believe how much his little brother had grown in those past ten years, and how proud he is too see him, here and now.

"You've gotten a lot stronger since I last saw you, Luffy," said Ace.

Luffy gasped silently before he turned to look at his older brother, who smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I have, huh?" he asked. "Well, just wait, Ace! One of these days, I'll be stronger than you!"

Suddenly, Ace stopped, forcing Luffy to stop as well.

"In that case, Luffy," Ace started as he raised a hand in front of his brother, "I think it's time you let me go back to protecting you, for now."

Luffy seemed confused, at first, but when he looked up, he soon saw why his older brother made him stop running: Aokiji is standing right in front of them.

"'I'll be stronger than you,' you say?" Aokiji questioned. "Now how do you expect to back that up when you know that there's no future for either of you. Neither of you are getting outta here, alive."

"Admiral Kuzan!" cried one of the Marines.

"That's…!" Luffy muttered.

**KRINK!** Aokiji began to turn his arm into ice.

"Ice Block!"

"Luffy, stand back" Ace said.

"O-okay, Ace!" Luffy replied.

**FWOOSH!** Ace began to turn his body into fire while got a safe distance away.

"Pheasant PECK!"

"Mirror FLAME!"

**BOOM!** Aokiji sent a giant ice pheasant at Ace, who created a giant wall of flame. As soon as the two attacks collided, all that formed was mist. Since Aokiji's Devil Fruit power is ice and Ace's Devil Fruit power is fire, Ace's powers were more superior, for it completely melted Aokiji's ice pheasant.

Luffy was nearly sent flying from the blast, but luckily, Blizzard rushed to his side and caught him at the last second.

"Admiral Aokiji's ice…it vanished in an instant!" said one of the Marines.

Sengoku seethed as he tried to get to his feet.

"Dammit all!" he cursed. "This is unacceptable. How could I let this happen?!"

"Fleet Admiral!" some Marines cried as they ran to his aid.

Doflamingo chortled and said, "Just let them go! It'll make the future a lot more interesting!"

"Don't talk such nonsense!" Momonga snapped.

"Keep your heads on your shoulders," said a familiar voice. "They won't be leaving this place alive."

Two Marines turn and see Akainu standing behind them.

"Admiral Sakazuki!"

Meanwhile, one of Whitebeard's ships began to move through the plaza using the paddles.

"AAAAAH!" a Marine screamed. "EVERYBODY OUT OF THE WAY! THEIR SHIP IS STARTING TO MOVE!"

"STAY AWAY FROM IT!" shouted another. "THEY'RE USING THE PADDLOES TO MOVEO N LAND!"

"Hey!" said one of the pirates. "What's going on?! Who's on board the ship?!"

It is revealed that Squard and his men are on board the ship.

"Pops! Everyone!" Squard called. "Hurry up and get outta here! My men and I will hold them back!"

The pirates gasped in surprise.

"Squard…!" Marco muttered.

"It's Squard and the Whirl Spider Pirates!" shouted one of the pirates.

"Those fools," said Whitebeard.

_Why is everyone being so damn reckless?_ Stefan asked.

"Stop, Squard!" Karma shouted. "Don't do anything crazy!"

"Do you really wanna die, you moron?!" shouted another pirate.

"Of course I do!" Squard answered. "I deserve to die for stabbing Pops like that! It may not atone for my crime, but I won't be satisfied unless I do this! Now, all of you, take Ace and get outta here as fast as you can!"

"Squard!" shouted Marco while one of his comrades is trying to unlock his sea prism stone cuffs. "There's no need for you to do that! Dammit, Joey, hurry up and get these godforsaken cuffs off me, already!"

"I'm trying, Marco!" said Joey. "I can't just pick the lock, you know! This isn't as easy as it looks!"

Suddenly, **KRASH!** The ship stopped.

"Huh?" Squard muttered. "Hey! What happened?! Why aren't we going anywhere?!"

"Something's made the ship stop!" answered one of the Whirl Spider Pirates.

Down under the ship's masthead, it is revealed had stopped the ship…with one bare hand.

"Pops!" Squard cried. "W-what are you doing?!"

"I'm stopping you from making a huge mistake, you idiot!" Whitebeard answered, panting as he did. "Squard…I can't believe you would do this. Don't you know how cruel it is…to make a father bury his sons? And you actually that little prick of yours hurt me?! You fool…everyone grows old and dies, eventually!"

The Whitebeard Pirates stared in surprise.

"We've already done where we came here to do," said Whitebeard.

"Pops," Jimbei whispered.

"Pops!" Fossa shouted.

"Our business here is finished!" Whitebeard said. **KOFF!** He coughed up blood and his nose started to bleed.

Stefan walked up Whitebeard and gently nudged his hand, and in response, Whitebeard gave his canine friend a light pet to the head.

"And now," Whitebeard began, "these are…my final orders as your father and your captain! Listen carefully, Whitebeard Pirates!" He looked down at Stefan. "Especially you, Stefan."

Stefan made a little whine in surprise.

_E…Edward,_ he thought.

"W-wait," said one of the pirates. "What does he mean by 'final orders'?!"

"Pops, what are you saying?!" asked another.

"Don't talk like that, Pops!" said one more. "I don't wanna hear you say something like that!"

"You said that we were going back to the New World, together!" cried another pirate.

"POPS!" Ace shouted.

"IT'S TIME FOR US TO PART WAYS!" Whitebeard bellowed. "YOU MUST SURIVIVE AND RETURN TO THE NEW WORLD WITHOUT ME!"

"P-Pops!" cried Division 11 Leader, Kingdew. "What are you saying?! Are you planning on dying here?!"

"I'm a relic of a bygone era!" Whitebeard yelled, reeling back a fist. "No ship can carry me into the new age!"

**KABOOM!** Whitebeard sent a devastating punch that nearly destroyed half the town!

"GET AWAY FROM HERE, MY SONS!" he shouted. "RUN AWAY, WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"

"POPS, NO!" Rakuyo cried with tears in his eyes. "PLEASE, DON'T DO THIS!"

"Give it up, Rakuyo!" Curiel said. "It's Pops' orders! We have to leave without him!"

**ROWF! ROWF! ROWF!** Stefan barked, gaining his master's attention.

"I'm sorry, Stefan," said Whitebeard. "Just because we're both old doesn't mean that I have to drag you down with me."

_I can't leave you here, alone, Edward!_ Stefan thought as tears began to form in his eyes. _Please, don't make me go without you!_

"Just take care of the others, Stefan," said Whitebeard. "And listen to Marco from now on. He's in charge. Now get going, you damn dog!"

Stefan just stood there and stared at Whitebeard as his tears began to fall.

_I don't care,_ the dog thought. _I can't leave you here, Edward. I just can't! Not after you saved my life, that day! Remember?! Back when I was a puppy?! I was used as a bait dog in dog fights, but you saved me! How could you just tell me to leave you after all you've done for me?!_

"GO!" Whitebeard shouted.

**WHAM!** Whitebeard sent another punch into the air which sent Stefan sliding back, several feet.

"…dammit, Stefan, don't force me," Whitebeard said. "Just…get out of here, already!"

"Old Man Whitebeard!" Luffy shouted.

_What is he doing?!_ Blizzard thought.

"POPS, NO!" Ace cried.

**WHAM! KRAK!** Whitebeard sent another punch toward the town, causing another tremor that demolished more buildings.

"Damn you, Whitebeard!" Sengoku shouted.

As Whitebeard continued his attack, memories of days long passed began to flood his mind.

_Flashback_

A younger Edward Newgate, who had not yet gained his signature beard, sat by the portside railing, staring out at the sea with Stefan as a tiny puppy sitting in his lap (also without the signature beard), while the rest of his crew had brought in a big haul of treasure. Some of them asked if he wanted to have some, but Edward simply said that he was not interested in any treasure, whatsoever.

"What?" his captain asked. "A pirate who's not interested in treasure! HA! That's a laugh! Well, if you don't want treasure, then what DO you want?!"

Edward smiled while petting Stefan in his lap.

_Flashback end_

"It's been a long journey," said Whitebeard with a grin, "but I think it's high time we finish this, once and for all, Marines!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

WHOO! ANOTHER CHAPTER! However, this pretty much shows that there's only a couple of chapters left until...well...you know.

Review, please.


	27. The Name of This Era is Whitebeard

**Ch. 27- The Name of This Era is "Whitebeard"**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

When we last our heroes, Ace was finally free from his bonds, and he and Luffy fight their way passed the Marines in order to escape. As they did, Ace sees how much stronger his little brother has gotten, and Luffy comments that someday, he will surpass even him. Squard makes an attempt at a suicide run in order to redeem himself and let his allies escape, but Whitebeard stops him and gives one final order to his men: escape Marineford without him. With that being said, Whitebeard begins to destroy the entire island.

**RRRMMMMMMMMBB!** Marineford shook as Whitebeard sent earthquakes all over the island.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" the Marines screamed.

"MARINEFORD IS FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS!"

"SOMEONE, STOP WHITEBEARD!"

**RUFF! RUFF! RUFF! **_**ARROOOOOOOOOOOO!**_ The dogs began to bark and howl with panic, and it appeared that their handlers could not calm them down long enough to focus on the battle.

"This is crazy!" said one of the Marines. "Whitebeard's really gonna destroy the entire island!"

"POPS~!" the Whitebeard Pirates cried, tearfully.

"We can't leave you behind, like this, Pops!"

"Please, you gotta come with us!"

"Pops, don't go!"

_Listen to them, Edward!_ Stefan shouted in thought. _Please! You can't do this! You said they were children! You can't abandon them like this!_

"CAN'T YOU FOOLS FOLLOW A SIMPLE ORDER FROM YOUR CAPTAIN?!" shouted Whitebeard. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, YOU BRATS! RIGHT NOW! AND THAT GOES FOR YOU, TOO, STEFAN, YOU FLEABAG!"

While the rest of the pirates reluctantly ran away, Stefan stayed put. The dog knew that Whitebeard didn't really mean those insults. He was only saying those things to make everyone give up on him and leave, but Stefan would not budge.

If he had to stay here on Marineford and die along with Whitebeard…then so be it.

"Kill Whitebeard!" shouted a Marine Captain. "He's on last legs! He can't keep standing for much longer!"

Whitebeard raised his glaive and **KABOOM!** He slammed it into the ground, sending a great number of Marines flying away.

"POPS!" cried a tearful pirate as he was being held back by his shipmate.

"No! Don't!" shouted the one who is holding him back, also in tears. "I know it's hard, but we have to what Pops said! I'm sorry!"

"Ace! Come on!" Luffy called to his older brother, who stood staring at Whitebeard in silence.

_What are you doing just standing there?!_ Blizzard thought. _We gotta split!_

Ace just kept staring at Whitebeard.

_Pops…!_ he thought.

"Come on!" shouted one of the pirates. "We can steal one of the Marines' battleships and sail outta here!"

"Get ready to set sail!" exclaimed another.

"Commander Marco!" called another tearful pirate under Marco's division. "It's time to go!"

"Pops…!" Marco muttered.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" called a Marine. "The pirates are trying to escape, sir!"

Sengoku sighed.

"Now that he doesn't have Ace to worry about," said Sengoku, "Whitebeard will do everything he can to send Marineford sinking to the bottom of the sea, and all in exchange for his life!"

**KLAK!** Garp finally emerged from the ground, surprisingly still alive.

"Vice-Admiral Garp!" a Marine said. "A-are you all right, sir?!"

Garp didn't answer him. Instead, he just looked at Whitebeard, his jaw and forehead bleeding from when Luffy punched him.

"So," he began, "he's gonna try and settle things here and draw this era to a close, eh? Well, then, bring it on, Whitebeard!"

Not too far away…

"Cap'n Buggy! Look!" said one of Buggy's followers. "The Video Transponder Snail has finally regained consciousness!"

"Really?" asked Buggy. "Perfect! Quick! Point it at me! We'll show the whole world my heroic deeds!" He then drew his knives. "They can all watch me flashily take Whitebeard's head! HAHAHAHAHA!"

XXX

Back at the Sabaody Archipelago, the audience, who had been left without knowing what happened for quite some time, became ecstatic when the broadcast came back on.

"What happened to Whitebeard after he got stabbed?!"

"Were all his pirate allies killed after he betrayed them?!"

"**Ahem!"**

"Hey! Look! There's someone on the screen!"

"**Hello, everyone! It's me! Buggy, the legendary pirate!"**

"YOU AGAIN?!" the audience cried in shock.

"Oh, FOR GOD'S SAKE! I was really hoping that HE'D die, too!"

"I WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO WHITEBEARD!"

XXX

Back at Marineford, the pirates are making their escape.

"Hurry! Get to the shore!"

"Don't let those pirates escapes!" shouted a Marine Vice-Admiral as he, as well as two other soldiers, raised his bazooka. "Kill as many of them as you can!"

"You're going to have to deal with ME, first!"

The Marines turned to face Whitebeard, who is towering right behind them, but before they could react fast enough, **THWAK! KRASH!** The Emperor sent them flying with a powerful swing of his glaive.

Meanwhile, some of the pirates are trying to move Jozu, who is still frozen solid.

"Hey! Commander Jozu, are you all right?!"

"You still alive, or what?! Come on! You have to come with us!"

**THUD!** They accidentally dropped him.

"AAAAH!" they screamed.

"Oh, god, please don't tell me we broke him! We didn't break him, did we?!"

"No, it doesn't look like it! I think he's okay!"

"HEY! COMMANDER BLENHEIM!" shouted another pirate. "YOU HAVE TO CARRY JOZU! HE'S STILL FROZEN!"

"Straw Hat Boy! White Wolf Boy!" Ivankov called. "What are you standing around for?!"

"Ace!" Luffy called to his brother. "C'mon, we gotta go! Don't let Old Man Whitebeard sacrifice go to waste!"

"…don't worry, Luffy," Ace said. "I won't. Just…give me a minute, okay? I just need one more moment with him! Just ONE more moment! That's all I ask! Please, Luffy. As my brother, let me have this!"

"…okay, Ace," Luffy said. "But hurry!"

"Thanks, Lu," Ace said before he turned to face the Marines. "GET OUTTA MY WAY!"

**BOOM!** He sent a huge fireball at the Marines, burning them away. Whitebeard and Stefan noticed this, and then turned to face Ace, who is down on his hands and knees, bowing his head.

A pause came, but then, Whitebeard slowly approached Ace.

"I have little use for soft words," he said, "but before you go, tell me just this one thing, Ace. Were you…happy with me…as your father?"

"…of course!" Ace answered, trying to hold back tears. "I've never regretted it, since! I don't care what these damn Marines say! You're my one and only father, and I've never been happier! …I love you, Pops."

"GURARARARARA!" Whitebeard laughed while Stefan smiled and wagged his tail.

**SHLURP!** The huge dog gave Ace a big slobbery kiss.

"O-okay, okay, Stefan!" Ace said. "Thanks. I love you, too, boy."

Stefan gave a bit of a sad whine, but at the same time, it sounded happy, as well.

"Ace! Luffy!" Jimbei called. "Quickly! Run to the ship, as fast as you can! Get in front of me!"

"Thanks, Jimbei!" Ace called as he ran ahead. "Luffy! Blizzard! Let's go!"

"We're coming, Ace!" Luffy called as he and his dog followed after him.

"They're specifically targeting you two!" Jimbei explained. "It's Pops' last wish that every last one of his men gets away from this place, alive!"

At the bay, some pirates have boarded a battleship.

"Everybody, get on board! We've managed to capture this battleship! Hurry up!"

"Please, Luffy," Hancock muttered. "You must hurry!"

At that moment, Akainu appeared.

"Admiral Sakazuki!" the Marines exclaimed.

"Do those pirates really believe that they can escape?" Akainu questioned. "They're idiots."

XXX

Back at Sabaody, everyone is watching the video feed and has seen what has happened to the execution platform.

"The platform's a complete wreck!"

"But what happened to Ace?! Did they kill him, already?!"

"Where's Whitebeard?! Show us where he is!"

XXX

Back at Marineford, **GLUP! GLUP!** Akainu began to turn his arm into magma, once again. **FWOOM!** He sent a giant magma fist at various pirates, engulfing in lava.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"LOOK OUT! HERE COMES AKAINU, AGAIN!"

"Humph," Akainu scoffed. "You manage to free Ace, and then you turn and run away like a dog with his tail tucked between legs, eh? The Whitebeard Pirates are nothing more than a pack of cowardly mice. However, considering who your leader is, it doesn't come as a surprise to me. After all…Whitebeard is a loser from a bygone era!"

Ace's eyes went wide, and he froze in the middle of running.

"Ace!" Luffy called. "W-what are you doing?!"

"…a loser?" Ace repeated before he turned to face Akainu, a look of pure anger and hatred in his eyes. "You take that back! Take back what you said about my father, right now!"

"Ace, no!" Bizarre shouted. "Don't stop! Keep running!"

_You idiot!_ Blizzard thought. _Can't you see he's just goading you?! Just turn around and run away, while you can!_

"Ace! Let's go!" said one of the pirates as he tried to get his friend to run, only for Ace to pull his arm away.

"He just badmouthed Pops," Ace hissed.

"Ace, what are you doing?!" Luffy questioned. "Come on! We gotta go!"

"Face the facts, Ace," said Akainu. "Your REAL father, Gold Roger, stood in his way, making him an eternal loser who could never become the King of the Pirates, even if he tried! That's the kind of man Whitebeard truly is. I'm only speaking the truth. You foolish pirates call him 'Pops' and love him and put on this damn farce that you're one big happy family."

"Shut up," Ace growled.

"Even though he and that mongrel of his ruled the seas for many decades," Akainu went on, "he was still never able to become the King of the Pirates. He never achieved his dream!"

"Shut up!" Ace barked.

"And in the end, one of his own idiot 'sons' was smooth-talked into stabbing him!" Akainu continued. "And now, he's going to die, trying to protect that same idiot!"

Squard froze at those words.

"Now, isn't that what you call a 'failed life'?" Akainu questioned.

"I SAID 'SHUT THE FUCKING HELL UUUUUPP!'" Ace roared.

"Ace, stop it!" Izou called. "Can't you see that that's what he wants?! Leave him alone and let's get out of here!"

"NO!" Ace shouted. "I am NOT running away from this bastard!" He then turned to Akainu, his body beginning to ignite into flame.

"How dare you try to slander Pops' name," he hissed in a thick venomous tone. "Pops gave me love and care and a place I could call home! You know NOTHING about his greatness!"

"Oh, please," Akainu said. "People who live outside the law, such as yourself, are nothing but trash! You pirates don't deserve happiness! Whitebeard may've been powerful, but he and that mutt of his will die losers! A FITTING END FOR THE LEADER OF A BAND OF HUMAN TRASH LIKE YOU!"

"WHITEBEARD IS THE GREATEST PIRATE THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN!" Ace bellowed. "HE CREATED THIS ERA, TOGETHER!"

_DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND DRAG THE NAME OF THE MAN WHO SAVED MY LIFE THROUGH THE MUD!_ he thought.

"The name of this era," Ace began, his fist aflame, "IS 'WHITEBEARD'!"

"ACE! DON'T DO IT!" the pirates cried.

It was too late.

**BOOM!** Ace and Akainu's fists clashed, creating a huge explosion. However, Ace was sent flying back, screaming in agony and clutching his burning arm. It actually got burned, even though he turned into fire!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!" Ace screamed. "MY ARM! MY AAAAAAARRMM!"

"Ace…he got burned?!"

"But that's impossible! Ace is a Logia Devil Fruit user! How can that be?!"

Akainu scoffed and said, "How careless of you. Got a little confident because your Logia type could beat mine, eh? Fool! You're only fire! The power of the Mag-Mag Fruit can burn everything, even you! My powers are far more superior to yours, Ace!"

"ACE!" Luffy cried as he attempted to run to his brother's aid. However, before he could take so much as two steps away, **THUD!** He suddenly fell to his knees, feeling incredibly weak, and Blizzard felt the same, stumbling on his own four paws.

_Oh, no!_ Blizzard thought. _Ivankov's hormones…they're wearing off!_

"Luffy!" Jimbei cried as he came to Luffy's side. "You've reached your limit!"

Luffy panted heavily, feeling his exhaustion beginning to overtake him once again, but then, he spotted something on the ground: Ace's Vivre Card. He had accidentally dropped it when he fell to his knees.

"A…Ace's Vivre Card…!" Luffy said as he reached down to get it, but it kept inching away from him before he could so much as touch it. "Come on…hold still!"

_Luffy, forget it!_ Blizzard thought as he bit down on the back of Luffy's vest. _We gotta go, right now!_

"Blizzard, let go of me!" Luffy said as he pushed Blizzard away and tried to get the Vivre Card.

"Gold Roger the Pirate King and Dragon the Revolutionary!" Akainu exclaimed. "Their sons met and have become blood brothers! How frightening. By carrying the blood of those demons in your veins, just being born is a big enough crime, alone! Neither of you will escape this place, alive! You two brothers will NEVER get passed me." He then turned his attention to something, or rather someone else.

"Just watch," he said.

**WHUP!** Akainu jumped away.

"Hey, wait!" Ace called. "What are you…" he gasped when he saw who Akainu was lunging at. "NO!" he cried as he got to his feet and ran. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Blizzard gasped and covered his eyes.

_Oh, dear god, I can't watch this!_ he thought.

"LUFFY!" Ace called.

Upon hearing his name being called, but when he did, he saw what Ace was warning him about: Akainu, lunging at him with a fist of magma.

Luffy gasped in horror and flinched, squinting his eyes tightly shut, awaiting the fiery blow…but it never came. At first, he seemed too afraid to even open his eyes, but curiosity overcame caution, so he reopened his eyes, but when he did, he soon wished that he hadn't.

Ace is standing right over him…a fist of magma going in right through his back and out of his stomach.

**KOFF!** Ace coughed up a visible amount of blood.

Luffy, Blizzard, Jimbei, and all the Whitebeard Pirates stood in their places, eyes wide in complete shock.

"A…Ace…?!" Luffy muttered.

_Fire Fist…_ Blizzard thought, completely horrified. _No…!_

**FWK! FWSHHH…!** On the ground…Ace's Vivre Card began to burn away into practically nothing.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

...I'm sorry I had to do this.

Review, please.


	28. The Death of Portgas D Ace

**Ch. 28- The Death of Portgas D. Ace**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

WARNING: Character death ahead.

* * *

When we last left our heroes, Whitebeard tries to destroy all of Marineford while giving his men time to escape. Ace asks for one last moment with Whitebeard before he leaves, which he is given, and shows his gratitude to his captain and father. However, before everyone can escape, Akainu goads Ace into a fight by insulting Whitebeard. Ace tries to defend Whitebeard's name, only to realize that the power of his Flame-Flame Fruit is no match for Akainu's Mag-Mag Fruit. When Akainu attempts to attack Luffy, Ace makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his little brother by jumping in the way.

**SHLUK!** Akainu pulled his magma fist out of Ace's back. Everyone stared in utter disbelief and horror, but the one who is the most horrified is Luffy.

"ACE HAS BEEN HIT~!" the pirates cried.

Even Aokiji seemed shock by this sudden turn of events.

"No…!" Garp whispered. "NO!"

"SOMEBODY, STOP AKAINU!"

Although shocked by Akainu's attack, Whitebeard managed to spot someone from a distance: it was Buggy, holding his knives, looking absolutely terrified.

Little did anyone know that the Video Transponder Snail is still broadcasting everything.

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone watched, also horrified what Ace had done to protect his little brother.

"**FIRE!"**

**BOOM!** An explosion went off onscreen.

XXX

Back at Marineford, it is revealed that the pirates had tried to shoot Akainu, but it was a lost cause, for no matter how many times the Admiral was hit, the bullets just went right through his magma body.

"It's no use!" cried Curiel. "He's unstoppable!"

**Huff! Huff!** Ace panted.

"So, you're still alive, eh?" Akainu questioned. "Well, I can fix that."

"STOP IT!" Luffy cried.

Just when Akainu was about to deliver another blow…

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

**WHAP!** Jimbei appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Akainu's fist of magma, much to the shock of the pirates.

Meanwhile, Joey couldn't get the handcuffs off of Marco, so he found Mr. 3 and dragged him to the 1st Division Commander.

"Thank you, so much," Mr. 3 said gratefully. "If you hadn't have found me, I would've-"

"Shut your mouth and unlock this thing, already!" Marco snapped. "Hurry up!"

"Ugh…" Jimbei groaned as he held his burned hand.

"Stop wasting your time, Jimbei," Akainu said. "You know it's futile. "You were once a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. You know exactly how strong I am!"

"I don't care!" Jimbei shouted. "If I can just buy a little more time by giving my life away, then I'll gladly do so! I was prepared to die from the very beginning!"

"Vice-Admiral Garp!" a Marine cried. "What are-"

"RAAAAAAAAAH!" Garp roared as he charged at Akainu, but then, **KRASH!** Sengoku leapt up and pushed him into the ground, face-first, pinning him down.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, GARP?!" Sengoku questioned. "HAVE YOU GONE MAD?!"

Garp struggled under Sengoku's grip.

"You…you better keep holding me down like this, Sengoku!" said the Vice-Admiral. "Because if you don't…I'M GONNA KILL SAKAZUKI FOR THIS!"

"You idiot!" Sengoku said.

"You're a traitor, Jimbei!" Akainu said. "Therefore, you must be punished!"

"JIMBEI, GET DOWN!"

**SHWAK! WHAM!** Vista cut Akainu with his sword while Marco, in his hybrid form, kicked Akainu with his talons.

"Commander Marco! Commander Vista!"

"Ugh…!" Akainu grunted as his face split from his neck, almost halfway. "You damn Haki users are such a nuisance!"

"I'll never forgive myself for what happened here, today," said Vista.

"What's wrong with you?" Akainu asked. "Can't you fools see that Fire Fist is beyond saving?!"

"You bastard," Marco hissed.

While everyone else charged at Akainu, Ace began to collapse to his knees.

"Ace!" Luffy cried as he caught his big brother in his arms. "Ace, are you okay?! Say something! Anything!"

"…I'm sorry…Luffy," said Ace.

Luffy felt something warm oozing onto the palm of his hand. As he pulled his hand off of Ace's back, he saw that his palm is now coated in his brother's blood.

"O-oh, god," Luffy said. "Ace! Your wounds need treating!"

"I'm sorry…that you couldn't get to save me, properly," Ace whispered. "I'm so sorry, Lu."

"What are you saying?!" Luffy asked. "HEY! GET HIM A DOCTOR OR SOMETHING! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP ACE!"

"Hey, Doc!" a pirate called to the doctor. "Hurry and get over here! Ace needs first aid, right away!"

"I'm coming!" said the doctor.

"No…!" Ace managed to say. "It…it's no good. I know…my time is up. Akainu burned my guts to cinders. I won't last much longer."

"Ace…" the doctor muttered.

Blizzard, who had come to Ace's side, could whimper sadly.

"Luffy…listen to these last words, carefully, okay?" Ace asked.

"Last words?" Luffy repeated. "What do you mean, 'last words'?! Ace…are you gonna die? B…but you can't! You promised me, remember?! Ten years ago…you promised me that you would never die! ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU SAID TO ME, ACE?!"

_Why would he make such a stupid, unreasonable promise?_ Blizzard thought. _No one can say that they're not gonna die!_

"I know, Luffy," Ace said. "It…kinda reminds of…Sabo. If I didn't have a little brother, like you, that needed to be taken care of….then I would've never wanted to keep on living."

He then starts to remember all the things that the people back on Dawn Island would say.

"_What? What if Gold Roger had a son? 'Chop his head off,' I'd say!"_

"Nobody wanted me," Ace said. "It couldn't be helped. To most people…I was just a worthless good-for-nothing."

"_Hey! I just got an idea! What say we poke a needle in that kid for every person who hates Roger?"_

"_Let's burn him at the stake, and then right before he dies, everyone in the world laughs at him!"_

"_Yeah! Everyone is sure to say, 'Serves you right, you little bastard!' HAHAHAHAHA!"_

"_I want his last words to be, 'I'm sorry for being born the trash that I am!' HAHAHAHAHA!"_

"_Ah, well. There's probably no such brat in this world!"_

"_Hey, Ace! I heard you caused another fracas in town! Is that true?!"_

"_So what if it is, Dadan?! If I had enough strength, I would've killed every last one of them!"_

"_WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"_

"Hey, Luffy," Ace said. "If you…ever see Dadan, again…then give her my regards, won't you? Dying…makes me nostalgic. Even for that crazy old bitch. Oh…and give Makino my regards, too."

Luffy swallowed the lump in his throat as he felt tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

"There's only…one thing that I won't be able to do," Ace continued. "I won't be able…to see your dream come to pass."

"Ace…s-stop talking!" Luffy said. "You're wasting your energy!"

"But I know you can do it, Lu," Ace said. "You're my little brother, after all. Like we swore on that day…I've lived my life…with no regrets…!"

"You liar!" Luffy cried. "Don't you sit there and lie to me!"

"I'm not lying, Luffy," said Ace. "Look…I gotta confess. What I wanted in life…was never a name for myself, or treasure, or a bounty, or whatever. What I really wanted…was the answer to this one question: did I deserve to be born or not?"

**KOFF! KOFF!** He coughed up blood, again.

"I…I can't even so much as shout, anymore. Luffy…I need you to…listen to my next words very carefully…and repeat them to everyone. Can you do that for me?"

"…"

"Pops…! Stefan…! Everyone…! And you…Luffy…"

Whitebeard and Stefan looked over to Ace with tears in their eyes, remembering the day when they first met him.

"…Ace…" the former muttered. "My son…!"

Stefan made what sounded like a short howl of sadness as his tears fell.

"Even though…I was such a hopeless person," Ace said. "Even though…I was born the son of the devil…you all still cared and risked your lives for me…so thanks…"

Ace sniffled as tears came falling from his eyes.

"Thanks for loving me…!" he sobbed.

Luffy sniffled as he felt his own tears fall, and Blizzard stared in sadness as he felt tears well up in his eyes. The pirates around them also went into tears.

"Ace! No!" one cried.

Just then, Ace's lips curved upward in a big smile…and then…he slipped out of Luffy's grasp…and fell to the ground.

**FSST…!** The Vivre Card completely vanished, and at that moment, it dawned on everyone.

Portgas D. Ace…is dead.

"_Hey, Gramps?"_

"_Hmm? What is it, Ace?"_

"_Do you think that…nah, forget it."_

"_What? Come on, Ace. What's on your mind? Spit it out, already!"_

"_Do you think that, maybe…it would've been best if I was never born?"_

"_Well, Ace…only time can answer that question."_

Blizzard stared at Ace's corpse, and then, he started to chew his lip as his tears finally began to fall.

_No…_ he thought. _All that effort we spent…WASTED!_

Luffy, meanwhile, looked down at his brother's lifeless form in complete disbelief.

"Ace…?" he called, hoping that he would answer.

"_What's wrong with you, Luffy? What, you think I was dead or something?!"_

"_Well…I…"_

"_WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU CRYING ABOUT, YOU BIG BABY?!"_

_**BONK!**_

"_OUCH!"_

"_HOW DARE YOU KILL ME OFF LIKE THAT, YOU MORON!"_

"_But, Ace, I-"_

"_Listen, very carefully, all right?! I promise you that I'm never gonna die! You really think that I'm gonna leave my wimp of a little brother alone, just like that?!"_

"_O…okay, Ace."_

"_Good…now, come on. Let's go get some food or something."_

"_Yay…!"_

Garp lied in his place, under Sengoku's hand, remembering the day when Ace was born.

"_If you were a girl, your name would be Anne, but if you were a boy, your name is…Ace. Your name is…'Gol D. Ace'. Our child…"_

"Ace…?" Luffy called, once again, but still, he did not get his answer.

A pause came, and then, Luffy started to whimper before he looked up into the sky with tears still in his eyes. Then, he opened his mouth…and…

"Ah…AH…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

R.I.P Ace. TT^TT

Review...or don't. Please don't hate me...!


	29. Silent Rage

**Ch. 29- Silent Rage**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Ace takes a fatal blow for Luffy from Akainu's magma attack. Luffy tries to get his brother to hang on, but it is all for naught. With his last breath, Ace shows his gratitude to his friends and his brother before he dies. However, Luffy is unable to handle the loss and screams in torment.

Luffy was not the only one who is mourning the death of Ace. Whitebeard and his men, even Garp and Jimbei, are all in tears.

_**AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ Stefan and Blizzard howled loudly in anguish.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH!" Luffy continued to scream as he remembered the day when he and Ace drank sake together and officially became brothers.

"_From here on out, Luffy, you and I are brothers, forever!"_

"A…AAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCEE!" The pirates screamed along with him.

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone is horrified at the sight they had just seen.

"Fire Fist…" a man muttered.

"He's dead…!" a woman finished.

Around them, some of the children had witnessed Ace's unfortunate end, and they began to cry. In fact, even the adults around them are in tears. Why? No one really knew..

XXX

Back at Marineford, Luffy continued to scream in agony at the death of his older brother. Images of Akainu's fist going through his stomach and Ace's lifeless body dropping to the ground played in his mind, again and again, when suddenly…Luffy stopped screaming. However, he stopped moving, too, and Blizzard noticed this.

_Luffy?_ Blizzard called to his master in thought. _Luffy? Hey! What's wrong with you?!_

**ARF!** Blizzard barked, hoping to get Luffy's attention, but the boy remained unresponsive.

_Luffy!_ Blizzard thought as he put his front paws on his shoulders and began to shake him, back and forth. _Luffy, wake up! Come on, man, I know you're in there! Snap out of it! It's me! It's your buddy, Blizzard!_

No answer.

_Oh, no…!_ Blizzard thought. _His mind is shot! Fire Fist's death was too much on him!_

"WHITE WOLF BOY!" shouted Ivankov. "Quick! Vyou have got to get Straw Hat Boy out of there, before it's too late! He's in terrible danger!"

"Look out, behind you!" Jimbei shouted.

Blizzard looked back and saw Akainu, having completely turned into magma, lunging at them.

"You're next, Straw Hat!" Akainu exclaimed.

_HOLY CRAP!_ Blizzard thought.

"RUN, BLIZZARD!" Jimbei yelled.

**CHOMP! WHUP!** Blizzard bit down on the back of Luffy's vest and ran as fast as he could, dragging Luffy along with him, just as Akainu's fist landed on the ground, causing it to melt.

"White Wolf!" Akainu shouted. "Get back here!"

**TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP! TMP!** Blizzard continued to run away, dragging Luffy by his vest.

_Don't worry, Luffy!_ Blizzard thought. _I'll get you outta here, even if I have to drag you!_

Suddenly, Blizzard is surrounded by some familiar but very unfriendly faces: Ken's troop, now led by Shiyu.

"_Going somewhere, White Wolf?"_ Shiyu asked Blizzard in a menacing voice.

"_You guys,"_ Blizzard said. _"Look, I'm sorry I killed your leader-"_

"_You're not sorry!"_ Shiyu snapped. _"Not yet…"_

"_Please, you don't understand!"_ Blizzard argued. _"I had to do it! He was suffering!"_

"_That's what all typical pirates like you say!"_ Crystal growled.

"_Hand Straw Hat over, White Wolf,"_ said the Rough Collie. _"Make it easier on yourself!"_

"_I'll never give Luffy up!"_ Blizzard yelled. _"If you want him…you'll have to pry him from my cold, dead paws, first!"_

"_That can be arranged,"_ Shiyu said.

**GRRRRR~!** The dogs growled as they began to advance. Blizzard knew, however, that he was much too exhausted to fight, but he had to at least try to put up an effort to protect Luffy, especially in his state.

After all…Ace would've wanted the wolf-dog to protect his little brother.

Just as Shiyu and the dogs are about to go in for the attack…

**GRROOOOOOAAAAAAAARR!** A mighty roar boomed out, and Stefan came lunging at the dogs.

"_BACK OFF, YOU BUNCH OF MANGY HYENAS!"_ Stefan yelled.

"_Stefan!"_ Blizzard said. _"It's you!"_

"_Get out of here, pup!"_ Stefan shouted. _"Hurry, and take that boy of yours with you! And don't start thanking me! I'm only doing this for Ace!"_

Blizzard nodded as he grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest with his teeth and continued to drag him out of the plaza while Stefan fought off the dogs. As he kept running, he felt a shadow looming over him. Looking to his left, he saw Akainu, towering over him, his arm turning in magma, once again.

"Miss me?" Akainu questioned in a sinister voice.

**GLOOP! GLOOP!** He reeled his fist back.

Blizzard gasped and looked to Luffy, who is still unconscious.

_Sorry, Luffy!_ he thought before he tossed Luffy away.

**WHAM!** Akainu's fist landed on Blizzard's shoulder.

**YIIIIIIIIIIIIIPE!** Blizzard yowled in pain before he fell to the ground, rolling around in pain and clutching at his now burned shoulder with his paw.

The white fur had disappeared, and now, all that is left is a cross-shaped patch of marred skin.

"It's useless to try and protect a man whose death is inevitable," Akainu said. "Why fight, at all?"

Blizzard staggered to his paws and turned to Akainu, growling fiercely.

_He's my best friend!_ Blizzard thought. _Luffy showed me how most humans can be accepting towards others and not judge! He gave me the love and care I truly I needed! It's kind of like how Whitebeard accepted Fire Fist into his family! He knew that he was Gold Roger's son, but he loved him, anyway, and that's what Luffy's done for me! Because of that…I REFUSE to let him die!_

With that, Blizzard ran over to Luffy and attempted to drag him away, once more, but then, he froze as a jolt of pain course through him, forcing him to stop. The arrows in his back, combined with the injuries from the fight with Ken, his broken tail, and the burn he had gotten from Akainu have finally overtaken him. **FWUMP! Huff! Huff!** He fell to the ground on his side, panting heavily, as the world began to grow dark around him. He then looked over to Luffy, who is still in a mental collapse. Fighting off unconsciousness, Blizzard manages to gather just a tiny bit of strength and crawled over to Luffy, placing his body on his chest.

_I'm sorry,_ he mentally apologized. _I'm sorry…I failed you…Luffy._

With that, Blizzard finally passed out from his pain and overexertion.

"Pathetic mongrel," Akainu said as he approached the two unconscious Straw Hats. "In that case, you can both die, together!"

"Oh, no!" cried Curiel. "Akainu's gonna kill them! Somebody, do something!"

**FWOOSH!** Akainu raised his fist magma again, but then…

"I WON'T LET YOU!"

**WHAM!** Akainu's fist connected with Marco's flaming wing.

"COMMANDER MARCO!"

"You!" Akainu hissed.

"Jimbei!" Marco called. "Hurry! Take Ace's little bro and his dog and get them outta here!"

"Right away!" Jimbei answered.

**WHAP! WHAP!** He grabbed Luffy and Blizzard and hoisted them up, holding them against his side before he began to run.

"It's Ace's last wish!" Marco declared. "We have to protect those two, otherwise, Ace won't rest in peace! If we let him die, we'll bring shame to the Whitebeard Pirates!"

The pirates roared in agreement before they charged at Akainu.

Jimbei looked down at Blizzard's motionless form.

"You've nothing to be ashamed of, Blizzard," said the Fishman. "The love you bear for Luffy, as well as your loyalty to one another, has allowed you to protect him for this long. For now…just rest, and leave protecting Luffy to us!"

"I told you that I won't let those brothers escape from here, alive!" Akainu shouted. "Or did you forget that, already?!"

"ADMIRAL! BEHIND YOU!"

Akainu's eyes went wide, and he turned to see Whitebeard, towering over him. The Emperor did not speak a word, but words were not needed, for one could tell, just by looking at him, that Whitebeard…is furious.

**KROOSH!** With the power of his Tremor-Tremor Fruit, Whitebeard punched Akainu in the back of his head.

"GAH!" Akainu cried as he coughed up blood.

"P…Pops is pissed!" said one of the pirates.

"QUICK! EVERYBODY, GET AS FAR AWAY FROM POPS AS YOU CAN!" shouted another.

Akainu groaned as he got to his feet. **GLUP!** His armed turned into magma, once more.

"HELLHOUND!" he shouted.

**SHWAK!** Akainu threw his fist at Whitebeard, who tried to dodge the attack, but only ended up getting half his face burned off.

_EDWARD!_ Stefan cried in thought.

"POPS!" the pirates cried.

"OH, MY GOD!" Haruta shouted, in tears. "POOOOOPS!"

"Haruta, get a hold of yourself!" Fossa shouted, trying to comfort her, but she would not stop weeping. "HEY! SOMEONE, GET HER OUT OF HERE! THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR HER!"

Just then, Whitebeard pulled back his arm as Akainu jumped at him, and then, **KRAK!** He punched the Admiral in the side, cracking the air as he did, and then **KRROOOOOOOOM!** He sent him flying right into Marine Headquarters!

"Oh, no!"

"Marine HQ is crumbling!"

"Look out!"

**KOFF! KOFF!** Akainu coughed up blood.

"D…damnation…!" he cursed.

The result of Whitebeard's punch not only caused Marine HQ to come crumbling down, but the tremors also caused the ground to split. Marines and pirates fell into the water below, followed by the rubble, which possibly crushed anyone it landed on.

As the dust settled, it is revealed that there is now a wide chasm in between Marineford. Whitebeard, Stefan, and the Marines were on one side. The Whitebeard Pirates remained on the other.

"No!" a pirate cried. "We're cut off from Pops and Stefan!"

"Whitebeard's split the plaza in half!" shouted a Marine. "The pirates are on the other side!"

"Pops!"

"POPS, NO!"

"Even after you've lost half your face," seethed Sengoku, "you still have the strength to do even this?!"

Whitebeard panted and said, "I'm not out of commission, yet."

On the other side of the chasm, some of the pirates are still crying about being separated from Whitebeard and Ace's death.

"Hey, SHUT UP!" shouted one of the pirates. "Look, I understand how you feel, but if you're gonna cry, do on board a ship! We don't have time to mourn!"

"Hurry up and make sail!" shouted one of the New Kamas.

The pirates made a break for their ships.

"Hurry! Get all functioning ships to the docks, A.S.A.P!"

"Salome!" Hancock said. "I'm worried about Luffy and Blizzard!"

Salome hissed in agreement.

Whitebeard continued to fight off the Marines, and Stefan joined his side, swiping away any foes with his giant paws, when suddenly…

"Hey!" a Marine shouted. "What's that thing?! Something's hiding behind Marine Headquarters!"

Behind Marine HQ, a giant of extraordinary size, even bigger than Little Oz Jr., is hiding there. His head is shaped like a rice ball, and his facial features include round eyes with dark outlines around them, along with eyelash-like marks, similar to the ones found on Franky's face, that point downward. He wears the prison uniform of Impel Down, has light brown hair, and a black beard covering the sides of his face.

"Uh-oh," said the giant. "Looks like they spotted me."

"Hey, wait!" said a Marine. "Isn't that-"

"Look, over there!" shouted a Marine lieutenant. "Who's that on the execution platform?!"

"Oh! So NOW you decide to notice us, eh?!"

"What?!" Sengoku questioned. "How did you get here?!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Doflamingo laughed. "This is just too perfect! We've got another big boy joining the fight!"

**GRRRRRRR~!** Stefan growled viciously at the newcomer.

_I recognize that scent,_ he thought. _It's the scent of that cowardly rat!_

"You…!" Whitebeard hissed.

"It's…THE BLACKBEARD PIRATES!" the Marines shouted.

On the execution platform, it is revealed that Blackbeard and his men are standing there, especially Shiryu. However, behind them, it is revealed that Blackbeard had gotten some new recruits.

The first is a very large, round man, and the second tallest, compared to the giant. He is wearing the prison uniform from Impel Down, as well. He has a very long nose which strangely appears to be placed higher on his face, just above his eyes and he wears this drunken smile with his tongue lulling out of his mouth. He has a rather large forehead and he appears to be wearing a jester's hat. On the sides of his neck, there are three rings pierced on. His skin appears to be pink, too, and judging by the gourd of sake he is holding, it appears he is a rather heavy drinker.

The next is a woman of middle-age, possibly in her mid-40s or 50s. However, her is set in girlish pigtails. Her face has wrinkles, a sloping forehead, a long, witch-like nose, a devilish grin, and a square jaw. Unlike most older women, like Vice-Admiral Tsuru, she is not stooped over or withered, and her body still appears to be full and strong, if not a bit broadened by age.

She also wears the Impel Down uniform with a V-neckline. She also wears a large magenta cape, a blue pearl necklace around her neck, and a purple sash around her waist over lavender cargo-pants and black shoes.

The last is a man who is not dressed in the Impel Down prisoner uniform. Instead, he wears a long white and brown patterned fur coat and two light purple necklaces around his neck. He seems to have the characteristics of a feline, such as slit pupils and a wild mane of cyan hair with white horns to his head via black metal plates underneath. His mustache is a lighter blue color, and is very large and droopy, sticking out at about the same length as his shoulders and resemble cat whiskers. His crossed arms are covered in metal bracers, but as for his hands, they could not be seen.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "Long time, no see, eh, Pops?! I'm glad I came so I get to see you die!"

"Teach…" Whitebeard seethed.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Review, please.


	30. The Great Pirate Edward Newgate

**Ch. 30- The Great Pirate, Edward Newgate**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

WARNING: character death ahead.

* * *

Previously, Luffy had gone into a mental collapse after Ace's death. Blizzard tries to save him from Akainu, but he winds up getting burned and is overcome from pain and exhaustion. The Whitebeard Pirates decide to defend Luffy out of honor for Ace, and Jimbei attempts to escape with both Luffy and Blizzard. Whitebeard is left furious by the death of Ace and lashes out at Akainu, destroying Marine HQ as he does. However, at the last second, the Blackbeard Pirates enter the stage.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed.

"Those are all death row prisoners from Level 6 of Impel Down!" one of the Marines shouted. "What are they doing here?!"

"Those are the worst criminals in the world!" said Vice-Admiral Strawberry. "Their very existences have been erased because of the extreme barbarity of their crimes! Not one of them be allowed to run free in the world!"

"Look there!" shouted another Marine. "There's only one creature in the world who's that big! It's the pirate, San Juan Wolf, 'The Colossal Battleship'!"

"Uh-oh," said Wolf, still peeking from behind Marine HQ. "They know who I am, now!"

"And that's 'Corrupt King' Avalo Pizarro!"

"I haven't tasted freedom in a while," said Pizarro.

"And 'Heavy Drinker' Vasco Shot!"

"Heh-heh… **HIC!**" Shot laughed and hiccupped, drunkenly. "So can I kill them all?" he asked in a slurred voice.

"'Crescent Moon Hunter' Catarina Devon!"

"MURUNHUHUHU!" Devon laughed. "Oh, you've all been such bad boys~!"

"And there's the ex-Chief Jailer, Shiryu of the Rain! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

"SHIRYU!" Sengoku shouted. "You bastard! Where's Magellan?! What happened back at Impel Down?! AND HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU ALL GET HERE?!"

"Go find out for yourself, later," replied Shiryu. "I'm joining up with Blackbeard and his men from now on. Got a problem with that?"

Just then, a Marine captain ran up to Sengoku and fell to his hands and knees.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, sir!" he said. "I'm sorry! We didn't get the chance to relay the message but an unidentified battleship passed through the Gates of Justice, a while back!"

"…and they were on it, weren't they?!" Sengoku questioned. "What is the meaning of this?! Marine troops were manning the power room. There was no report of anything unusual!"

"HOHOHO!" Lafitte laughed. "So terribly sorry, but it was a very simple trick! You see, before we departed, I hypnotized the men in the power room. The orders were simple: to let any battleships that went near the Gates of Justice pass through. But it seems this helped out some others, as well."

"If the World Government had seen me as a pirate," Blackbeard started, "then I couldn't have opened the Gates of Justice or infiltrated Impel Down! That's why I needed to become one of the Seven Warlords! But not that it's done, I don't need that title, anymore! ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"

Sengoku seethed at Blackbeard.

"Releasing those prisoners was your plan, all along, wasn't it?!" he asked.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "That's right! It was all about this from the very beginning! And that's everything! You'll know what I mean, soon enough!"

"TEACH~!"

Blackbeard looked down and sees Whitebeard, pulling his arm back.

"Captain!" shouted Burgess. "Look out!"

**KROOM!** Whitebeard sent a devastating punch to the platform, sending Blackbeard and his crew falling down along with it.

"LOOK OUT!" shouted a Marine as he and his allies fled.

Blackbeard got to his feet and glared at Whitebeard.

"No mercy, huh?" he questioned. "Fine! I expected that, anyway!"

"You're the only one I won't call my son, Teach!" Whitebeard boomed as he panted. "You broke the one iron law of my ship! YOU MURDERED YOUR OWN BROTHER!"

"POPS!" Izou shouted.

Marco is about to lunge at Blackbeard, as well.

"STAY OUT OF THIS, MARCO!" Whitebeard shouted at him. "Stefan, that goes for you, too! I shall be the one to avenge 4th Division Commander Thatch! Teach, YOU WILL PAY FOR KILLING HIM WITH YOUR LIFE!"

"ZEHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard cackled. "Is that so? Well, bring it on! BLACK HOLE!"

**SWUMP!** Blackbeard put his hand to the ground, and soon, the ground disappeared, and a huge field of darkness appeared, and soon, the rubble sank into.

"Thatch died, Pops!" Blackbeard said. "But Ace died, too! I respected you and looked up to you more than anyone ever did, but then you got old! You couldn't even save one of your own men from execution! I spared his life back on Banaro Island, but it was a waste!"

"That bastard!" Vista seethed as he attempted go at it with Blackbeard, but one of his men held him back.

"No, Vista, don't!" he said. "We understand how you feel, but don't be reckless!"

"What's that big black thing?!" asked one of the Marines.

Whitebeard held up his arm, preparing to deliver another punch, but then, Blackbeard held up his hand.

"Stop right there, Pops!" Blackbeard said. "It's no use! Your Devil Fruit powers won't have any effect on me, anymore! BLACK VORTEX!"

**WHRRR!** A vortex appeared from Blackbeard's hand, catching Whitebeard's arm before he could punch him.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard cackled. "You see?! You can't make any earthquakes anymo-"

**GRRAAAAAAAAWWR!** Stefan roared behind Blackbeard, and **CHOMP!** He bit down on Blackbeard's left shoulder.

"AAAAAAAUUGH!" screamed Blackbeard.

"YOU DAMN DOG!" Burgess shouted.

**BAP!** He punched Stefan in the jaw, causing him to let go of Blackbeard. **SHLUK!** Shiryu pulled out his sword and stabbed Stefan in the chest.

"Stefan!" Marco cried.

"Damn mutt," Blackbeard cursed as he looked to the giant Great Pyrenees.

**CHAK!** He pulled out a pistol from his sash.

"Eat lead!" he shouted.

**SHLAK!** Before Blackbeard could pull the trigger, Whitebeard struck him down with the blade of his glaive, hitting him where Stefan bit him.

"AAAAAAAAAAUUUUGH!" Blackbeard screamed. "That hurts! Damn you, Pops!"

"Overconfidence and carelessness," Whitebeard said. "Those are your weaknesses, Teach."

**WHAP!** He grabbed Blackbeard by his face.

"H-hey!" Blackbeard said. "What do you think you're doing?! STOP!"

**WMMM~!** Whitebeard's hand began to glow.

"N-no!" Blackbeard said. "Pops, no! Don't do it! I'm your son, remember?! YOU WOULDN'T KILL ONE OF YOUR OWN CHILDREN, WOULD YOU?!"

**BOOOOOOM!** Whitebeard pushed Blackbeard into the ground, sending a huge tremor all around him. The ground split and cracked, and Blackbeard fell.

"Ha…ha…!" Blackbeard panted as he got to his knees, clutching his bleeding head. "You…you MONSTER! WHY WON'T YOU JUST DIE, YOU OLD BASTARD?!"

**CHAK! CHAK! KACHAKK!** Guns are heard being cocked.

"SHOOT HIM~!" Blackbeard roared.

**BOOM! BANG! BANG! BANG! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! SHUNK! SHLAK!** Gunshots went off as the Blackbeard and his men opened fire on Whitebeard. Devon and Shiryu cut open his wounds and stabbed him with their sword and spear.

**BOOM! BOOM! KABANG! KABOOM! KABOOM!** As the Blackbeard Pirates continued their barrage, the Whitebeard Pirates helplessly look on in tears as their captain and father just stood and took all the hits.

"Oh, MY GOD!" Curiel cried.

"POPS~!" Rakuyo sobbed.

Haruta screamed as her tears continued to flow down her face, down on her knees and clutching her head.

"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU IDIOTS TO GET HER OUTTA HERE!" Fossa shouted, also in tears.

"She…she wouldn't go, Fossa!" said one of the pirates. "We tried! We really did!"

"NO! NO!" Haruta screamed. "DEAR GOD, PLEASE, NOOOOOOO!"

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "THAT'S RIGHT! KILL HIM! PUMP HIM FULL OF LEAD!"

_EDWAAAAAAAARD!_ Stefan shouted in thought.

_**AWWOOOOOOOOOOOO~!**_ he howled.

As Whitebeard continued to let himself get shot, he let his mind wander back to a time long passed.

"_You're dying, Roger?"_

_Flashback_

Cherry blossoms are blooming all around. The petals from their branches and danced in the breeze. In the midst of it all, there are two familiar pirate captains: Whitebeard and Roger, having a drink of West Blue sake, together.

Roger had just broken the news to his rival of his inevitable passing.

"That's right," said Roger. "I don't have much longer to live. So, you want me to tell you how to get to Raftel, then, Whitebeard?"

"Forget it," Whitebeard answered. "I wouldn't go, even if you did tell me. Not interested in that kind of stuff, you see. GURARARARA! When you go, though, tell that dog of yours I said 'hi', won't you? What's his name? His name's Ore, right?"

"That's right," Roger said. "Boy, do I miss that dog, but I already mourned about him a long time ago. He's not dead unless I completely forget about him, though."

**HIC!** Roger hiccupped, drunkenly.

"'Scuse me," he said. "Anyway, you know what the World Government's been calling me, these days? 'Gold Roger'." He then broke into laughter as he slapped his knee.

"Those morons have got it wrong!" he exclaimed. "My name's Gol D. Roger!"

"I see people with the letter 'D' in their name from time to time," Whitebeard commented. "There's even one of them in my crew. His name's Marshall D. Teach. What does 'D' really mean, anyway?"

"You really wanna know?" Roger asked, wearing his signature grin. "I'll tell you, then. A long, long time ago…"

_Flashback end_

**KLIK! KLIK!** Blackbeard pulled the trigger, but nothing came out of his pistol.

"Huh?" he muttered. "I'm out of bullets!"

"Me, too!" said Burgess.

"I'm out, too," Doc Q said with a cough.

"…you're not him," Whitebeard wheezed.

Blackbeard gasped.

"Y…you're still alive?!" he questioned.

"The man that Roger's waiting for…is definitely not you, Teach."

"What?!"

Meanwhile, Jimbei is still running away while carrying the unconscious Luffy and Blizzard.

"Just as there are some who inherited Roger's will," Whitebeard said, "someone will eventually do the same for Ace. You can sever bloodlines, but their flames will never be extinguished. It has been passed down like that since ancient times! **Huff…huff…!** Someday, one who will challenge the entire world will arise, and shoulder centuries of history. Sengoku…you and the World Government fear the great war that will come to this world, one day! I was never interested in treasure, but once it's found…this entire world will be turned upside-down! Someone will find it. That day will come."

Sengoku gasped.

_No! Don't say it!_ he thought. _DON'T SAY IT!_

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, the audience kept watching the screen, anxiously awaiting the words that would come out of Whitebeard's mouth.

"**THE ONE PIECE…IS REAL!"** he boomed.

The crowd gasped.

XXX

"You BASTARD!" Sengoku shouted.

"ZEHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "I KNEW IT!"

_Stefan…my children,_ Whitebeard thought. _Forgive me…I couldn't finish off this bastard. This is the end of the road for me. However…other than what happened to Ace, today, I have no regrets. You've given me everything I could ever wish for…and more._

Marco sobbed loudly, along with his fellow pirates, for he knew what was to come next.

_Flashback_

A young Edward Newgate is sitting by the railing, petting little Stefan in his lap while staring out at the sea with a big smile, while the rest of his crew marveled at the haul of treasure they got.

"What?" asked his captain. "A pirate who's not interested in treasure? HA! That's a laugh! Well, if you don't want treasure, then what do you want, Newgate?!"

Stefan let out a big yawn before he finally fell asleep in his master's lap.

"There is something I've always wanted when I was a boy," said Edward.

"Well, what is it then?!" asked one of his shipmates.

"Yeah! Don't leave us in the dark!" said another.

"…a family," Edward replied.

A pause, but then, the pirates burst into laughter.

"'A family,' he says! You hear this guy?!"

"Get outta here, you crazy son of a bitch!"

Edward ignored their laughter and kept looking out to sea, smiling while petting his dog.

_Flashback end_

_I owe you everything, my children,_ Whitebeard thought as he closed his remaining eye. _Stefan…take care of them. Farewell._

"Huh?" muttered Blackbeard. "No way…he…he's dead, but…he's still standing!"

"POPS~!" the Whitebeard Pirates cried, mournfully.

The great pirate, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate…is dead, but even in death, even though half of his face is gone, he would not fall and never will. He will forever be remembered as a monster for the way he crushed his foes, the day. In this epic battle alone, he had suffered 267 sword wounds, was struck by 152 bullets, 8 dog bite wounds, was struck by 46 cannon blast, and hit by Akainu's magma fist. Neither that mighty body of his, nor his pride as a pirate has ever suffered a wound to the back.

However, aside from Ace, Whitebeard was not the only who perished that day. Shortly after Whitebeard breathed his last, Stefan was left so anguished by his master's death, he became overwhelmed by the pain of 89 bullet wounds from Marine firearms, 17 sword wounds, 4 dog bite wounds, and a hit from Akainu's magma fist, combined with his old age. He suffered a heart attack not long after, and since the Whitebeard Pirates' doctors could not reach him due to the chasm, the monstrous dog did not survive. However, like Whitebeard, he, too, did not suffer one "coward's wound".

The two pirates died together, their pride still intact.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

R.I.P. Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate and Stefan.

Review, please.


	31. Outrageous Events One After Another

**Ch. 31- Outrageous Events, One After Another**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Blackbeard appears on the stage and reveals his plan to Sengoku. Whitebeard engaged Blackbeard in battle, but he no longer has the strength. The Blackbeard Pirates unleash a barrage of gunfire on him. With his last breath, Whitebeard tells Blackbeard that the one Roger is waiting for is not him, and that the One Piece truly does exist.

In the blink of an eye, the news spread around the world like a plague. The Whitebeard Pirates had failed to save Gold Roger's son, "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace, and lost their captain and father, Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate and his dog, Stefan. This great historical event will be spoken of for generations to come, but those who had witnessed it with their very own eyes could only stare in silence.

At the Sabaody Archipelago, no one noticed that one particular spectator had secretly been watching the broadcast.

Who else would it be but Silvers "Dark King" Rayleigh?

**GLUG! GLUG! GLUG!** Rayleigh took a short nip of whiskey, but when he finished, he had tears welling up in his eyes.

"So…you're gone, Whitebeard," he said, wearing a sad smile on his face.

At the age of 72, Edward Newgate, the equal of even the "King of the Pirates", the great captain of the Whitebeard Pirates, himself, known as Whitebeard died in battle at the bay of Marineford. There, he led his crew against the combined forces of Marine Headquarters and the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and after an epic struggle, he breathed his last. Not long after, Stefan, his most loyal companion, anguished by the death of his master, died of a heart attack.

XXX

At Marineford, the Whitebeard Pirates are making their escape.

"Hurry up! Get aboard the ship!"

"Come on! Have you forgotten the captain's final orders?!"

"Jimbei! Hurry and get Ace's little brother and White Wolf over here, fast!"

"Aye!" Jimbei replied as he continued to carry the two unconscious Straw Hat Pirates.

"ZEHAHAHAHA…" Blackbeard laughed. "It's time. Let's get started!"

**FWUP!** The Blackbeard Pirates pulled out a black tarp and pulled it over Whitebeard's corpse.

"What are they doing?!" asked a Marine Vice-Admiral.

"What's Teach doing?" questioned 8th Division Leader, shark Fishman Namule. "What's he doing with Pops?!"

"ZEHAHAHAHA…" Blackbeard chuckled. "I'll show you the greatest show in the world."

**FWUP!** He went under the cloth that Whitebeard's body had been put under, and the Marines began murmuring amongst themselves in uneasiness as the Blackbeard Pirates surrounded it and faced them.

"What's with that black cloth?!"

"Blackbeard and Whitebeard are both inside!"

"What are you doing?!"

"Ho-ho-ho!" Lafitte laughed. "Stay where you are and don't come too close, if you please."

"I can't wait to see what happens!" Devon said.

"If he fails, will we disband?" Shiryu inquired.

Meanwhile, Buggy is seen running away, but his followers are tailing behind him.

"Wait!"

"Cap'n Buggy, where are you going?!"

"WHERE DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!" Buggy shouted. "I'M GETTING OUTTA HERE, AND I DON'T CARE WHERE I GO AS LONG AS IT'S AWAY FROM HERE! I CAN'T TAKE WHITEBEARD'S HEAD NOW! HE'S DEAD!" He turned away with tears dribbling down his face.

"You can say I'm pathetic, if you want!" he sobbed. "I understand if you've lost faith in me! GOODBYE, MY MEN!"

In reality, Buggy just couldn't bring himself to kill Whitebeard and Stefan because he was too scared to even go near them. Those two were monsters, compared to Buggy, and as far as he was concerned, the whole Paramount War was a nightmare.

However, that wasn't the way his followers saw it.

"Cap'n Buggy…he's crying."

"Hey! I think I get why he couldn't go through it! You know the old saying, 'Yesterday's enemy is today's friend'?"

"Yeah, what's gotta do with any of this?"

"Think about it! At some point in time, Whitebeard became Cap'n Buggy's rival and not his enemy! And in the end, he showed him manly mercy! He could've taken his head whenever he wanted, but he didn't because he couldn't find it in himself to kill his equal!"

"Wow…I can't believe what a great man we're following!"

"And now he's going away without even an excuse!"

"Hey! Cap'n Buggy!"

"Wait for us!"

The prisoners ran after Buggy in tears, not realizing that they had dropped the Video Transponder Snail as they did.

Meanwhile, the pirates are still trying to get away.

"RUN!"

"HURRY! GET OUT TO SEA!"

"Luffy! Luffy!" Jimbei called to Luffy's unconscious form. "Come on, Luffy! Snap out of it! You must live! Ace is dead, but you can't die along with him!"

"FIRE!"

**CHAK! BABOOM!** The Marines opened fire on Jimbei as he carried Luffy and Blizzard away.

"Please, Luffy!" Jimbei shouted. "You have to snap out of it! You and Blizzard have to live!"

As Jimbei kept running, he remembered a conversation that he and Ace had back in Impel Down.

_Flashback_

"Hey, Jimbei," said Ace. "If I die…can you…please look after my idiot little brother, Luffy, for me?"

"Unfortunately, Ace," said Jimbei, "you're reading too much into me. I'm not as charitable as you think I am. Even if this young man is your younger brother, we are in the world of pirates. Unless I genuinely like him, I will refuse to help or protect him."

_Flashback end_

"Jimbei! Over!" called one of the pirates from a ship. "Hurry! Get Straw Hat and White Wolf on board!"

"Right!" Jimbei said. "Here we come!"

All of a sudden, **KRINK!** The water froze up!

"Oh, no! What's going?!"

"The ship's stuck in the ice!"

"Well, try and thaw it out or something! Hurry up!"

On the ice, it is revealed that Aokiji is standing there.

"Uh-oh! Quick! Do something!"

"Keep Aokiji away from the ship!"

**KREK! KREK! KREK!** The ground started ground under the pirates' feet.

"Huh?! What's happening?!"

**BOOM!** A huge explosion went off from underground right in front of Jimbei, forcing the former Warlord to stop in his track.

**GLUP! GLUP!** A glob of magma appeared, taking on a familiar shape.

"When I said that I wouldn't let you and your brother escape…I meant it. Just give it up. You won't survive."

The Whitebeard Pirates gasped as the magma took the form of Akainu, now covered in blood.

"It's Akainu!" Fossa shouted. "But how?! I thought Pops killed him!"

"He melted a tunnel under the ground and circled around us!" shouted another pirate.

"Hand over Dragon's son, Jimbei," said Akainu. "And White Wolf, too."

"I can't do that, Akainu," said Jimbei. "I've decided…that I must protect this man and his dog with my very life!"

"Then I won't ask you, again," Akainu said as he raised his hand. "You can die with them."

Just then, the Whitebeard Pirates began charging, armed with their weapons.

"Quick! Protect Ace's little brother and White Wolf!"

"Ace's family is our family, too!"

"Out of the way, Jimbei Boy!" called Ivankov.

"Ivankov!" Jimbei cried.

"If I ever let Akainu so much as touch Straw Hat Boy," Ivankov began, "Dragon will never forgive me! Hell…"

Jimbei quickly ran out of the way.

"WINK!"

**KABOOM!** Ivankov's destructive wink destroyed almost half of the bay!

At that moment, **FWUP!** The Blackbeard Pirates pulled off the black tarp off of Whitebeard's corpse, revealing their captain inside, but it appeared that he remained unchanged. However, the Marines stood at the ready, just in case.

"What was he doing in there, anyway?"

"Whitebeard doesn't look any different!"

"Neither does Blackbeard! What happened?!"

"You Marine dogs," Blackbeard said. "How about you take a gander at what true power looks like? I mean, after all, we are enemies again! ZEHAHAHAHAHA! Black HOLE!"

**SWUP!** Blackbeard put his hand to the ground, causing a huge black hole to form and suck everything in, Marines included.

"AGH! HELP!"

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!?"

"WHAT IS THIS THING?!"

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "That's the power of the Darkness-Darkness Fruit! And if you think that's scary, get a load of THIS!"

Blackbeard pulled his arm back, taking a familiar stance, one that the Marines recognized, all too well. **WHAM! KRAK!** He punched the air, causing it to crack…just like Whitebeard did.** RRMMMMBB! KREESH! KABOOOOM!** A huge tremor occurred, and Marine Headquarters fell apart!

"AAAAAAAH!" the Marines screamed as they ran for cover.

"Hey, wait a minute!" said one. "That was the power of…the Tremor-Tremor Fruit! That's the power of the late Whitebeard! But how did Blackbeard get it?!"

"ZEHAHAHA!" Blackbeard cackled.

"WEEHAHAHA!" Burgess laughed. "You did it, Captain!"

"That was Pops' Devil Fruit power!" said one of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"What happened to Teach?!" asked another.

"Ho-ho-ho!" Lafitte chortled.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed, again as he held his hands up; the left hand glowing black while the right hand glowed white. "It's the gravity of darkness that turns everything into nothingness and the power of earthquakes that destroy everything! Now, I have it all! I'm unstoppable! I'M THE GREATEST! ZEHAHAHAHAHA!"

The Marines stared in shock and disbelief.

"I don't know how he did it," said one of them, "but…it looks like he stole Whitebeard's powers!"

"How in the hell could this happen?!" shouted another Marine.

"So…this means…" another Marine began, dropping his gun and falling to his knees, trembling with fear, "that the threat of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit still exists?!"

"But wait!" Karma said. "I thought it was impossible for anyone to have more than one Devil Fruit power, or it would kill you!"

"That may be true for normal human beings and other creatures," said Marco, "but, as you all know, Teach is anything BUT normal! His body is…well, odd. Let's leave it at that."

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "Well?! What do you think!?"

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, the spectators watch in horror as they watched the broadcast. Some of the parents were busy trying to calm down their tearful children, who have all started panicking as soon as they saw Blackbeard.

"This…this is a nightmare!" said a man in the audience.

"**Tell the world!"** Blackbeard shouted on screen. **"To you all commoners who love plain old boring peace! To the Marines! To the World Government! Even to all the pirates! The future of this world has just been decided! ZEHAHAHAHAHA! That's right! As of today…"**

XXX

"…THE NAME OF THIS ERA," Blackbeard yelled, "IS 'BLACKBEARD'! ZEHAHAHAHAHA! ZE-ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

Sengoku seemed horrified, while Akainu just glared at Blackbeard. The only ones who did not react are the unconscious Luffy and Blizzard, who are being carried off by Jimbei to safety.

Hopefully…he isn't too late.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

We're nearing the end, people! Only three more chapters to go!

Review, please!


	32. A Gift for the New Era

**Ch. 32- A Gift for the New Era**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Ken, Marine K9 Unit, Jupiter © Me

* * *

Previously, Jimbei is still trying to get Luffy and Blizzard to safety, but Akainu continues to dog him (no pun intended). Blackbeard pulls off another stunt: he somehow acquires Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers. Combined with his Darkness-Darkness Fruit powers, he exclaims to the entire world that this is the era of Blackbeard and proceeds to destroy Marine Headquarters!

Marine soldiers ran from their lives as the fortress began to crumble from Blackbeard's attacks.

"RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

"MARINE HEADQUARTERS IS COLLAPSING!"

"ABANDON YOUR POSTS! THIS PLACE IS DONE FOR!"

"This fortress of justice has protected the world's seas and its citizens for hundreds of years!"

"But now…look at it! It's completely destroyed!"

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, the citizens watched in complete and utter terror.

"Blackbeard was the pirate who captured Ace and triggered the war to begin with, and now he's got Whitebeard's Devil Fruit powers!"

"Now that that's happened…what's to become of the world?!"

Soon, almost everyone started panicking, and the Marines that had been stationed there could do nothing to calm them down.

XXX

"ZEHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "ZE-ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAAA~! The power! I can feel it, coursing through my very being! INCREDIBLE! I feel like I can control the whole entire world! And to start…I'm gonna sink Marineford to the very bottom of the sea!"

Everyone gasped.

"ARE YOU MAD?!" shouted a Marine lieutenant.

"YOU CAN'T SINK THIS PLACE!" yelled another.

Just then, Blackbeard and his men look up and see Sengoku in his Daibutsu form. Before they could react fast enough, **THOOM!** He sent a powerful shockwave at the band of pirates. **BOOOOM!** Sengoku then imploded the shockwave, hitting the pirates and causing the ground to break up beneath their feet.

"Ugh…!" Blackbeard coughed. "A shockwave…!"

"The fortress can be rebuilt," Sengoku said. "However…the island of Marineford is the hub of our world! For all the citizens of the world who fear an invasion of evildoers, this is a black day! But justice and righteousness will never be defeated! DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK LIGHTLY OF SINKING THIS ISALND, YOU BASTARD!"

"ZEHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "In that case…just TRY and protect it!"

Meanwhile, as the battle still went on, Ivankov and Inazuma had been defeated by Akainu, and are being helped by the New Kamas.

"Lord Ivankov!"

"Inazuma!"

Other New Kamas turned and pointed their guns at Akainu.

"Eat lead, Akainu!"

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The New Kamas opened fire on Akainu, but the bullets had no effect on him, since they just went right through him.

"Give me Dragon's son and White Wolf, Jimbei!" Akainu shouted as he tailed after the Fishman.

Jimbei panted as he kept running as fast as he could, but he was getting even more exhausted from carrying Luffy and Blizzard in his arms.

"Once I get out to sea," said Jimbei, "I'll have the advantage, and then I can escape! Of course, I'll have to find some way to keep Luffy and Blizzard from drowning!"

**KLOMP!** Jimbei jumped off the wall that surrounded the bay, preparing to jump in the sea, but then, **KRINK!** The ocean froze!

"Oh, no!" Jimbei cried.

"Sorry I had to do that, Jimbei," Aokiji apologized, sarcastically. "Orders are orders."

"AAAAAAAAHH!"

Jimbei turned and saw Akainu lunging after him he burns to New Kamas in the face.

"He's coming!" Jimbei cried.

**TOMP!** Akainu jumped after Jimbei, his arm having turned to magma, again. **WHAK!** Jimbei tried to kick the Admiral away, but it was no use.

"I'm sorry, Ace…" he apologized.

**WHAM!** Akainu punched Jimbei through his back and stomach, and hit Luffy right in the chest!

"NO!" cried one of the pirates. "JIMBEI!"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Jimbei screamed in pain, but Luffy remained unresponsive. So unresponsive, in fact, he didn't even that the string that kept his beloved straw hat on the back of his neck had burned off, causing the hat itself to fall.

"Akainu punched right through Jimbei and hit Ace's little brother!"

"Oh, dear god, I hope that kid's still alive!"

**THUD!** Jimbei fell to the ground, his breathing labored, and Akainu landed on his feet not long after.

"Stop getting in the way, Jimbei!" Akainu said.

"Ugh…." Jimbei moaned as he eye the X-shaped burn on Luffy's chest. "Oh, Luffy…forgive me! Because of me, you've suffered an even greater injury!"

"I think you should be more worried about yourself, right now," Akainu commented. "He's lucky that you got in the way. Otherwise, If I had managed to pierce his heart, he would've been put out of his misery. Am I right, Jimbei?"

Jimbei seethed at the Admiral.

"What?" Akainu questioned. "Even after I managed to burn him and that mongrel of his, you still wish to protect them? Can't you see that it's useless to defend those who are fated to die?! Now, stand aside, or I'll melt you along with Straw Hat and White Wolf!"

"Not a chance," Jimbei hissed, venomously.

"…have it your way," Akainu said.

"Desert LA SPADA!"

**SHLAK!** A giant blade of sand emerged from the ice and cut Akainu's body in half, but the Admiral had turned himself into magma on instinct, thus saving his life. He looked to his left, and there, he saw one person whom he thought was unlikely to come to rescue of Luffy, Blizzard, Jimbei, or all of them combined…

"Crocodile…!" Akainu seethed.

"You…?!" Jimbei said in disbelief.

"Don't you go thanking me," said Crocodile. "SABLES!"

**WOOSH!** Crocodile conjured up a whirlwind of sand which sent Jimbei flying while still holding on to Luffy and Blizzard.

"WHAAAAA!" Jimbei screamed.

"Someone catch those three and put them on a ship!" Crocodile called.

"CROCODILE!" Jimbei called. "WHY DID YOU SAVE US?!"

"If you want to protect someone, Jimbei, then do it right!" Crocodile shouted back. "Don't let these Marine rats have their way!"

**WHAP!** Jimbei, Luffy, and Blizzard surprisingly landed in the arms of a stunned Buggy, whose upper half is floating in the air.

"WAH!" Buggy cried. "What the hell?! What hit me?!"

"Huh?!" muttered one of the pirates.

"Look! They stopped in midair!" said another.

At that moment, Buggy's followers noticed their savior in the sky.

"Hey, look! It's Cap'n Buggy!"

"He saved Straw Hat, White Wolf, and Jimbei!"

"Huh?" Buggy muttered. "I…I did?!"

Buggy's followers were in tears, once again.

"You were only pretending to run away!"

"It was all a plan to save Straw Hat! Because you and him escaped Impel Down together!"

"You're such a noble man~!"

"You're so noble, it's blinding!"

"Huh?!" Buggy questioned, finally noticing the cargo he is holding in his hands.

**SNURK!** He snorted in surprise.

"J-JIMBEI, STRAW HAT, AND WHITE WOLF?!" he cried. "What are you two doing all the way up here, covered in blood?!"

**GLUP! GLUP! GLUP!** A giant fist magma appeared, forcing Buggy to flee, screaming like a little girl.

"HOT LAVA~!" he cried.

"Thank you, Red Nose," Jimbei choked out. "But…I allowed to suffer yet another grave wound."

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THAT!" Buggy shouted. "_I'M_ THE ONE WHO NEEDS SAVING HERE!"

"Luffy and Blizzard need treatment, right away," said Jimbei.

"THERE'S NO ONE TO TREAT HIM AROUND HERE!" Buggy shouted. "AND WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING 'RED NOSE'?!"

Back at the battlefield, Akainu has been confronted by the Division Leaders of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"I don't believe this," said Akainu. "Are all of you really willing to risk your lives for the sake of one little boy and his stupid dog?"

"We all witnessed, firsthand, their boundless determination, power, and of course, loyalty to each other," said Vista.

"Ace protected them," said Fossa, "and Pops and Stefan acknowledged them!"

"And now, it's our duty," Izou began, "to send him off as a gift to the new ear!"

"And if we have to give up our lives to ensure his own," said Haruta, who has managed to pull herself together since Whitebeard's death, "then so be it!"

"Humph," Akainu scoffed. "Who would've guessed that you, of all people, would be fighting for such a noble cause, Whitebeard Pirates?"

"Tell me, Akainu!" Marco said, his arm alit with flames. "Are you really chasing Ace's little brother because he's Dragon's son? Or could it be that you're…afraid?"

"What?" Akainu questioned. "Afraid?! Why should I be afraid of some puny little boy?! You saw what I did, back there. After Ace died, his mind was shot! I may not have killed Straw Hat, but I managed to do something that no one could ever think of doing: I broke his spirit."

"That may be true," Marco said, "but he can regain it! It's what you fear INSIDE him that makes that kid our hope for the future!"

Akainu seethed at Marco, who smirked.

"Looks like I've got you pegged, huh?" he asked.

"Jimbei! JIMBEI!" Buggy called to the Fishman. "Oh, great! He's passed out! Where am I supposed to go from here?!"

"I see discussion is pointless," said Akainu. "Fine. Have it your way!"

**BOOM!** A huge explosion went off.

The prisoners of Impel Down, meanwhile, watched in horror.

"What are we gonna do?!"

"Sengoku and Blackbeard are fight on one side of Marineford, and the Division Leaders and Akainu are fighting on the other!"

"When is this battle gonna end?!"

They then turned to Buggy.

"CAP'N BUGGY! DO SOMETHING!" they cried.

"SHADDUP!" Buggy shouted. "IT'S NONE OF MY FLASHY BUSINESS, YOU IDIOTS! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

**SKREEEEEEEE~!** The prisoners covered their ears at the sound of bird-like screeching.

"Huh?" Buggy muttered, looking to his right and spotting a shadowy figure approaching him from the air. "What the hell is that?!"

It is revealed to be…a giant Great Horned Owl with white-and-black-spotted feathers and cherry blossom pink eyes.

"AN OWL?!" Buggy's followers shouted.

"A giant owl has appeared in the sky!" exclaimed one of the Marines.

**SKREEEEEEEE~!** The owl screeched again, and upon taking a closer look, Buggy realized that he is heading right for him.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Buggy screamed and closed his eyes, preparing for the giant bird-of-prey to lash out at with his sharp talons, but then, **SWOOP! WHAP!** The owl snatched something out of Buggy's arms. Doing a double take, Buggy gasped and realized that the giant avian is now carrying Jimbei, Luffy, and Blizzard in his arms.

_Oh, well,_ Buggy thought. _Better them than me!_

"HEY!" shouted one of Buggy's followers. "YOU DAMN OWL! BRING THOSE BACK! THEY'RE CAP'N BUGGY'S FRIENDS!"

**SPLASH!** A submarine suddenly emerged from the water.

"Huh? A sub?!" questioned one of Buggy's men. "Whose ship is that?!"

On the hull of the submarine, it is revealed to bear the mark of Heart Pirates.

Suddenly, the hatch opened, a familiar figure appeared from within.

"Good boy, Jupiter! Now bring Straw Hat Guy in here, quick!"

**SKREEEEEEEE~!** Jupiter screeched as he made a U-turn and headed back to _The Heartless_.

"Huh?" Buggy muttered. "Who the hell are you, boy?!"

"Straw Hat Guy and I may end up becoming enemies in the future, but for now, our meeting here is the work of fate! Besides, it wouldn't be much fun if he died, here and now!"

Down below, it is revealed to be Trafalgar Law and his crew.

"I'll help Straw Hat escape!" Law shouted. "Leave him to me! I'm a doctor!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

32 chapters down, two more to go! Man, I'm just burning through this! I might have the Return to Sabaody Arc up sooner than I thought!

Review, please!


	33. A Few Seconds of Courage

**Ch. 33- A Few Seconds of Courage**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Jupiter, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Last time, Blackbeard obtains Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit powers and threatens to sink Marineford to the bottom of the sea, but Sengoku won't allow it. Akainu continues to pursue Jimbei and manages to give both him and Luffy a grievous wound. Crocodile surprisingly helps Jimbei, Luffy, and Blizzard escape, and the Whitebeard Pirates defend Luffy, claiming him that he will bring the pirates hope for the future, and Luffy has something inside him which Akainu fears. Suddenly, Jupiter, in the form a Great Horned Owl, appears along with his master, Trafalgar Law, who has come to help Luffy escape!

"It's the 'Surgeon of Death', Trafalgar Law!" shouted a Marine captain, looking through a pair of binocular. "A rookie from the North Blue! He's one of the Eleven Supernovas with a bounty of 200,000,000 Berries!"

"And that's 'Beastly Bird' Jupiter with a bounty of 420,000 Berries!" cried another Marine. "They're both wanted criminals from the incident with the Celestial Dragons back on the Sabaody Archipelago!"

"They must be in cahoots with Straw Hat and White Wolf!" exclaimed a Marine soldier. "They've come to help them escape!"

"Who's that nobody?" Buggy questioned, obviously unaware of Law's infamy.

"Hurry up, Jupiter!" Law called to his owl-dog. "Get those three in here!"

_What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?!_ Jupiter thought. _It's not easy carrying two people and a dog, especially when the Marines start to open fire on you!_

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The Marines attempted to shut Jupiter down with cannonballs.

**BOOM! BOOM! SPLASH! SPLASH!** The battleships started firing at Law's submarine, but the cannonballs only missed by a hair, landing in the water instead.

"Captain Law!" shouted Bepo. "There's a Marine battleship heading right at us!"

"Shit!" Law cursed. "Of course, it wouldn't be that easy!"

"**Calling all Marine personnel! Divide into two forces! Pursue the Whitebeard Pirates and intercept Blackbeard Pirates, and whatever you do, do not let Straw Hat Luffy and White Wolf Blizzard escape on Admiral Akainu's orders!"**

Suddenly, pirates spotted Marines emerging from the ground through a trap door.

"What the hell?!"

"Of course, they had a hidden passageway, somewhere!"

**KRASH!** A pirate smashed a Marine's head with the hilt of his head, causing him to fall to the ground.

**RRMMMMMMMBB!** The ground shook again. In fact, even the entire sea shook. Pirates and Marines began to fall to the ground, unable to keep their balance. **THOOM!** The whole island, even the ocean, is tilting sideways, this way and that way.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed.

"AAAAH! THE WAVES!" cried one of the pirates on board a giraffe-like pirate ship.

**SPLASH!** A huge wave swallowed it up.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!" Blackbeard cackled. "This power is absolutely exhilarating!"

"AAAAAAH!" the Marines and pirates screamed as the tremors went on.

"But by the looks of things, I can't really control it too good, yet!" Blackbeard said.

"Captain, be careful!" shouted Burgess. "I know you're excited and all, but don't overdo it! You'll take out the ground from under our feet, too!"

"So, how do you like it, 'Buddha' Sengoku and Garp 'the Hero'?!" Blackbeard asked, mockingly. "Do you really think you can stop me, now?! The Era of Whitebeard has come to an end! As far as I'm concerned, you're not even second-best!"

XXX

At the Sabaody Archipelago, everyone is in great panic.

"Mommy! I'm scared! I want Daddy to come back!"

"This is getting way too creepy, even for me!"

"What is Blackbeard planning, anyway?!"

All of a sudden, they hear a voice on the PA.

"**Attention! Attention! Everyone who is watching the broadcast, may I have your attention please! The earthquake whose epicenter is believed to be at Marineford has caused a massive! It's headed straight for the Sabaody Archipelago, as we speak! This is not a drill! I repeat! This is NOT a drill!"**

Upon hearing that announcement, all hell broke loose. The spectators were practically stampeding, almost trampling one another, completely terrified. They ran around in different directions, screaming their lungs out, and in the panic, children became separated from their parents, despites the Marines' best efforts to keep everyone calm.

"GET ME OUTTA HERE! I GOTTA GET OUTTA HERE!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"OH, MY GOD! I CAN'T FIND MY DAUGHTER!"

"SCREW YOUR DAUGHTER! YOU WANNA DROWN, TOO?!"

"**Calm down! Please, do not panic! HEY! EVERYONE, PLEASE STAY CALM! Seek out a safe haven in the northernmost island, IMMEDIATELY! Evacuate to the highlands around Groves No. 40 or 50!"**

XXX

Back at Marineford, **ZOW! BOOM!** A laser had been fired at the pirates, but it wasn't Kizaru's laser beam.

"Look out! The Pacifistas have crossed the chasm at the square!"

It is revealed that the pirates are right. The Pacifistas have leapt across the chasm and are going on with their attack.

One of them opened his mouth, and then, **ZOW! BOOOM!** He fired another laser, hitting several other pirates in his wake.

Meanwhile…

"Coby? Coby, are you all right?!"

Helmeppo had found Coby, who, for some reason, is clutching his head, as if he is in great pain.

"Make it stop," he sobbed as tears came flowing down his face. "Make it stop! PLEASE, MAKE IT STOP!"

"Make what stop?" Helmeppo asked. "What's wrong? Do you have a headache?!"

"I…it's more than that, Helmeppo!" Coby replied. "I…I dunno! I just feel…sad~!"

"Sad?" Helmeppo repeated. "What do you mean?! You're not making any sense!"

**GACK! BLEEEEEGH!** Coby gagged before he opened his mouth and let out a practical cascade of vomit.

"The…the voices," Coby said. "I keep hearing…voices in my head, and they're disappearing, one-by-one!"

"What voices?!" Helmeppo repeated. "I don't understand!"

**BOOM!** A pirate fired his pistol and shot a Marine in the chest, but is caught by one of his comrades.

"Hey! Get a grip on yourself!" said the soldier. "Come on! You can make it! Think about your wife and two sons! How am I gonna tell them you died here?!"

"Unh…" the soldier who was shot moaned.

"Just leave him!" shouted Vice-Admiral Doberman.

**THUD!** The soldier fell to the ground.

"B-but sir-"

"No excuses!" Doberman said. "Get those pirates! Kill every last one of them! Don't allow a single one to escape the clutches of justice!"

"YES, SIR!" the Marines shouted as they went on with the barrage. Well, some of them.

_They're still thirsty for blood,_ thought Tashigi, who has witnessed what just happened. _Winning the battle hasn't dampened their fighting spirits in the least!"_

_Something's wrong here,_ Smoker thought. _This isn't justice…this is just plain bloodlust!_

Not too far away, Shiyu is trying to tend to an injured Crystal, who had taken a sword wound to her shoulder while the other dogs stood around, trying to keep other pirates at bay.

"_Shiyu,"_ Crystal said to her current commanding officer.

"_Don't try to talk, right now, Crystal,"_ Shiyu said as he licked her shoulder wound. _"It's gonna be all right. You'll see."_

"_Shiyu…do you think that…if he were still alive,"_ Crystal began, _"would Commanding Officer Ken…be proud of me for still trying to fight?"_

"_Maybe earlier, when Whitebeard and Stefan were alive,"_ Shiyu replied, _"but now…I'm not entirely sure."_

"_What do you think you're doing?!"_

Shiyu turned and saw Kage approaching him and Crystal.

"_Why aren't you going after the pirates?!"_ Kage asked. _"We were given orders!"_

"_I can't leave Crystal here!"_ Shiyu said. _"She's injured!"_

"_Leave her!"_ Kage said. _"This is a battlefield! If she's going to die, then let her! This place has no room for the weak!"_

Kage lunged at Crystal, preparing to deliver a devastating bite to her throat, but then, **CHOMP!** Shiyu bit down on his face, his teeth puncturing right through his eyeballs.

**YOWL!** Kage yelped as Shiyu pulled away from his face, and rubbed at his now nonexistent eyes.

"_AAAAAGH! MY EYES!"_ Kage screamed. _"I…I CAN'T SEE!"_

"_I will not allow any more harm to come to the mother of my best friends' puppies!"_ Shiyu shouted.

The dogs gasped.

"_Shiyu…"_ Crystal whispered, eyes wide in shock. _"You knew?!"_

"DO NOT TOLERATE EVIL!" shouted Akainu. "DESTROY THE PIRATES!"

_This victory,_ Smoker thought, _has only whetted their appetites!_

"ZEHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "I will destroy everything! I will swallow up everything! THIS WORLD IS MINE! ZEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

**ZOW! FSSS!** A beam of light grazes Jupiter's leg, but it still burned him a bit. **BOOM!** The beam exploded in the water.

"You there, 'Beastly Bird'," said Kizaru, standing on the yardarm of one of the Marine battleships. "Leave Straw Hat here with us."

Buggy gasped in horror.

"Uh-oh!" Bepo said. "It's Kizaru!"

"JUPITER!" Law shouted. "QUICK! DROP 'EM!"

_I thought you'd never ask!_ Jupiter thought.

**FWUP!** He released Jimbei, who is still holding Luffy and Blizzard, causing all three of them to fall to the ground.

"Jean Bart, catch them!" Law ordered.

**THUD!** Jean Bart caught all three of them in his arms as Jupiter reverted back into his dog form and landed on the deck.

"Good job!" Bepo praised, flashing two thumbs-up.

"DIVE!" Law demanded.

Bepo pried Luffy from Jimbei's grasp and got a good look at the burn on Luffy's chest.

"Holy cow!" he said. "Straw Hat looks worse than the other two! Hey! You still alive?!"

No response.

"Well, you've got a pulse," Bepo said. "That's good. We better get you into the medical ward, STAT!"

**SHEEEEEN!** A flash of light appeared from Kizaru's finger.

"Straw Hat Luffy, White Wolf Blizzard, Law the Surgeon of Death, and Beastly Bird Jupiter," he said. "I won't allow any of you to escape."

"Shit…!" Law cursed.

Just when Kizaru is about to fire…

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"

Everyone looked up upon hearing that voice.

"Is that…a Marine?" Marco questioned.

"What the hell…?!" Akainu muttered.

**THUD!** Another Marine fell to the ground.

_C…Coby!_ Helmeppo thought as tears fell from his eyes. _What are you doing?!_

It is revealed that a teary-eyed Coby is standing in front of Akainu.

"Please, Admiral!" he cried. "Please, stop it! Stop the fighting!"

"What is that kid doing?!" asked one of the pirates.

"H…help me…" coughed one of the Marines, covered in blood.

"PLEASE!" Coby shouted as his tears continued to fall. "THIS IS JUST A WASTE OF HUMAN LIFE!"

_Each and soldier that's fighting here…has a family waiting for him at home!_ he thought.

"We've achieved our objective!" Coby exclaimed. "Whitebeard, Stefan, and Ace are all dead, now! We've broken the pirates' morale! So why are you all so hell-bent on chasing them?! It's not necessary! This isn't justice! IT'S PURE BLOODLUST!"

The Marines and pirates stared at Coby in surprise. This boy was sticking up for all of them.

He must either be very brave or very foolish, but still…it was quite admirable.

"Some of the wounded can be saved if they're treated, right away," Coby continued, "but if we keep fighting, we're only consigning them to death! Not just that, but we're only creating more casualties to boot! The soldiers who from here on…they're just…just…"

Garp gasped silently.

"Is…is that Coby?!" he questioned.

"THE PEOPLE WHO DIE FROM HERE ON ARE JUST FOOLS WHO'LL DIE FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" Coby cried.

"…what did you just say?" Akainu asked. "Who are you, boy?!"

"Ch…Chief Petty Officer Coby, sir…" Coby stammered.

"Well, Chief Petty Officer Coby," Akainu began in a sinister voice, "you just cost me precious seconds! A soldier who refuses to serve justice has no room here in the Marines!"

"W…what?!" Coby asked.

"I can't stand looking at you," Akainu said. "You are a complete stain on the Marines' honor!"

**GLUP! GLUP! GLUP!** Akainu turned his arm into magma. Coby, realizing what was about to happen next, began to scream.

_I'm gonna die, here!_ he thought. _But…at least I said it! I said what I had to say! It's like Luffy said! I HAVE NO REGRETS!_

**WHAM!** Before Akainu's fist could so much as touch Coby, someone appeared between the two and blocked the Admiral's attack with the blade of his saber.

The pirates and Marines gasped in shock.

"No way…!"

"It can't be!"

"You…!" Akainu hissed.

**THUD!** Coby fell to the ground, foaming at the mouth, unconscious. The fear of dying was too much on him, so he passed out before Akainu could touch him.

"Well done, young seaman," said Coby's savior. "For better or worse, those few seconds of courage will profoundly influence the face of this entire world!"

**KLIK!** Kizaru hears the sound of a gun being cocked as he is about to fire another laser. Looking to his left, he saw that it is none other than Benn Beckman, pointing his rifle at him.

"Don't make one more move, Kizaru," said Benn.

"Whoa, there," Kizaru said, raising his hands.

"Huh?!" one of the pirates muttered. "Hey! Look out there, in the water! That ship! It's…the_ Red Force_!"

The _Red Force_ has been moored into the bay of Marineford.

"Get under way!" Law ordered.

**SPLASH!** The _Heartless_ submerged.

"What's he doing here?!" asked Doma.

"Why's one of the Four Emperors here?!" questioned McGuy.

**FWAP!** A flag bearing a skull with three scars on the left eye and sabers for crossbones flapped in the wind.

"It's…RED-HAIRED SHANKS!" the Marines cried.

Indeed it is. Shanks and his men have appeared on the battlefield. As the Emperor re-sheathed his sword, he knelt down and picked up the treasured straw hat that he had given to Luffy.

"Speak, Red Hair!" Akainu said. "What are you doing here?"

Shanks eyed the straw hat that he had not seen in ten years for about a few seconds, but then, he looked up at Akainu and said…

"I've come…to put an end to this war!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

Coby is my favorite Marine, ever. He's just the purest out of all of them.

WOOOT! OH, YEAH! SHANKS IS HERE! Also, just one more chapter left, and since I already did the Post-War stories, it'll be on to the Return to Sabaody Arc! WHOO-HOO! But right now, I'm DEAD TIRED. I was up almost all night looking on those last few chapters. As soon as I'm done with the last one, I'll get started on Return to Saboady on Sunday if I'm not too tired.

Review, please!


	34. The War's Conclusion

**Ch. 34- The War's Conclusion**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Jupiter, Ken, Marine K9 Unit © Me

* * *

Previously, Law and his men arrive to help Luffy, Blizzard, and Jimbei escape. However, the Marines are determined not to let that happen. Coby, who claims that he is hearing voices in his head disappearing, is disgusted with how the Marines have turned into a bloodthirsty savages and decides to take a stand once and for all. However, Akainu becomes angry that Coby has decided to stand up pirates and attempts to kill him, but before he can, the surprising arrival of the Red-Haired Pirates saves him. Shanks picks up the straw hat that he gave Luffy ten years ago and claims that he has come to end the war.

"Shanks?!" Garp growled. "He's the man that dragged Luffy into the life of piracy!"

Sengoku just stood there, saying nothing.

"IT'S THE RED-HAIRED PIRATES!" shouted the Marines.

"That fight he had with another of the Four Emperors, Kaido, was only yesterday! And now, he's here?!"

"What is going on?!"

Shanks looked down at his old straw hat. He missed the feel of the straw used to weave it and how it looked. However…he knew that for right now, this hat belonged to someone else.

"Hey!" Shanks called. "Buggy!"

Buggy looked down.

"Huh?" he muttered. "Shanks?! What are you doing here?!"

**SWIP!** Shanks tossed his old hat to Buggy, who caught it in his hands.

"Give that to Luffy!" Shanks called.

"What?!" Buggy asked. "Your old straw hat?! And why should I?!"

"Because," Shanks started, "I have a treasure map I want to give you."

"What? Really?!" Buggy asked, excitedly. "A-all right! Hang on! I'll flashily deliver it to him, right away!"

With that, Buggy flew off.

"Hey, Boss!" called Lucky Roux, eating a slab of meat, as usual. "It's been ten years since you last saw Luffy, right? Don't you wanna go see him?!"

"Believe me," Shanks said. "I'd love nothing more than to go and see Anchor…but…if I did…"

_Flashback: 10 years ago_

"Do me a favor, okay?" Shanks asked as he placed his straw hat on a sniveling Luffy's head. "Keep this hat safe for me. This hat means more to me than you'll ever know. Promise you'll give it back to me someday…when you've become a great pirate."

Luffy sniffled.

"…o…okay…" he sobbed.

_Flashback end_

"Hey, Captain!" Bepo called to Law, who is standing outside with Jupiter. "I know it's not everyday you get to see one of the Four Emperors and all, but you have to close the door! We're about to go under!"

"Just gimme a minute, Bepo!" Law called before he spotted something flying towards him. "What's that thing?"

**WHAP!** Law grabbed whatever it was out of the air, and he saw that it is Luffy's hat.

In the _Heartless_' medical ward, Luffy, Blizzard, and Jimbei have been placed on separate examination tables.

"…if I went to see him now," said Shanks, "it would violate our promise. Isn't that right…Luffy?"

"Damn you, Red Hair!" Akainu cursed. "Because of you, Dragon's son escaped!"

"Not yet, he hasn't," said Aokiji. "Ice AGE!"

**KREK! KREK! KREK! KREK!** The water began to freeze up.

"Oh, no!" Lucky Roux shouted. "They're still trying going after the submarine! The whole sea's gonna freeze over!"

Down below the water, it is revealed that the _Heartless_ had managed to escape the ice.

"Dammit," Benn cursed. "I told him not to make another move!"

Up in the sky, it is revealed that Kizaru still has one last trick up his sleeve.

"Yasakani Sacred Jewel."

**ZOW! ZOW! ZOW! ZA-ZOW! ZOW!** Kizaru fired several laser beams at the water, trying to sink the _Heartless_.

"Watch out! It's gonna hit us!" shouted Penguin.

"Dive lower!" Law ordered.

Luckily for them, the crew still managed to get away, but the pirates up on land were still in shock.

"They just keep attacking until the very end."

"Oh, dear god, I hope it didn't hit them!"

"What about Ace's little brother, White Wolf, and Jimbei?!"

"If they're still alive after that," said Kizaru, "then we'll just have to give up and just say they got lucky."

Akainu seethed.

_Shit…!_ he cursed in thought.

XXX

Out at sea, one of the battleships is setting sail without orders from anyone but…

"FOLLOW THAT SUBMARINE, AT ONCE!"

"But how?!" asked one of the Marines on board the ship. "It's completely underwater! I really doubt that they were able to escape the Admirals' attacks, just now."

"No…" said Hancock. "They're alive. I can feel it!"

**SWUP!** She went into her looking down pose.

"Listen here!" she said. "You shall report to the Marines that I, Boa Hancock, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, will finish Straw Hat Luffy and White Wolf Blizzard!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" said the blushing Marine.

"But Lady Hancock, how can we follow them?" asked another Marine.

"Just sail straight ahead, you louts!" Hancock shouted.

"Yes, ma'am! Right away! Oh, you may be crazy, but you're so damn beautiful!"

XXX

"WHAAAAAAAT?!"

**WHAP!** Buggy grabbed Shanks by the collar of his cape.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'NO TREASURE MAP'?!" he questioned. "YOU FLASHILY LIED TO ME, YOU BASTARD!"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I couldn't see any other way," Shanks said. "I was in a hurry. Anyway, long time, no see, huh Buggy?"

"DON'T YOU GIVE ME ANY OF THAT 'LONG TIME, NO SEE' CRAP!" Buggy shouted. "DON'T YOU FORGET THAT I STILL HATE YOU, SHANKS! YOU JUST USED ME AS A YOUR LITTLE ERRAND BOY! WHY, I OUGHT TO…"

As Buggy continued on with his ranting, his followers watched in awe.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"I sure am. Look at how he acts toward one of the Four Emperors!"

The prisoners went into tears, once again.

_Cap'n Buggy!_ they thought. _We'll follow you to the ends of the world!_

Suddenly, Buggy hatched an idea.

_Wait just one flashy minute, here,_ he thought. _If I stay with these guys, I'll be get off the island without a hitch! HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, what a clever man I am! I must get it from my mother._

"Red Hair…" Marco said as he approached him.

"Marco," said Shanks. "Stop all this needless fighting and retreat."

"…right," Marco said.

Just then, one Marine spotted Mihawk waling away.

"Hawk Eye! Where do you think you're going?! You're not done here!"

"Yes I am," Mihawk answered. "I agreed to fight Whitebeard, not 'Red-Haired' Shanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be getting home. Adieu."

With that, he walked away.

"Listen, everyone!" Shanks called. "To go on fighting like this would only lead to more loss of life on both sides! However, if any one of you still wants to fight…then my men and I will gladly take you on!"

The Marines gasped and backed away.

"What about you, Teach?" asked Shanks. "Or should I call you…'Blackbeard', now?"

Blackbeard seemed to freeze at Shanks' glare. Although he had that smug grin on his face, inside, he was shaking. However, he couldn't let Shanks see that.

"ZEHAHAHAHAHA!" Blackbeard laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks! I'll pass, Red Hair! I got what I wanted, after all! It's not time to be fighting you…not yet, anyway! ZEHAHAHAHAHA! Come on, boys! Time to hit the road!"

With that, the Blackbeard Pirates took their leave.

"Everyone, listen," Shanks said. "Withdraw now…and allow me to save face."

The pirates stared at Shanks in disbelief. The Marines also stared at the Emperor while they tended to their injured comrades. Some seemed relieved, but others, mostly Akainu, seemed angry.

"We'll see to the proper burial of Whitebeard, Stefan, and Ace," Shanks said. "You've already broadcasted the battle throughout the entire world. I just can't sit by and watch you bloodthirsty idiots go on and make a spectacle of their deaths! Is that clear?!"

"That's absurd!" shouted Doberman. "You can't give them a funeral! We need to show off their severed heads to celebrate our victory!"

The Marines began to argue at Shanks, saying how much they disagreed with his decision, but then…

"SILENCE~!"

The Marines looked to Sengoku, who is back in his human form.

"I don't mind," Sengoku said.

"What?" Doberman questioned. "B…but Fleet Admiral-"

"Enough!" Sengoku barked. "That's fine by, Red Hair. I'll take full responsibility for this."

"Thank you, Sengoku," Shanks said.

"Hurry up and treat the injured!" Sengoku ordered. "As of now…THIS WAR IS OVER!"

Thus ended the greatest battle of the Great Pirate Era. The Paramount War of Marineford will be deeply carved into the tablets of history. One era has died, but thanks to the efforts of brave souls, one will be able to lead a new era in its place.

**TO BE CONTINUED IN THE POST WAR STORIES…**

* * *

All right! It's done! AT LAST!

Must I say, this was a HASSLE, but I'm so glad it's done! Now, since I already did the Post-War one shots, I can get started on the Return to Sabaody Arc, followed by the Fishman Island Arc!

Review, please!


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